Things To Do in NYC This Weekend
NYC X Design Events, 9th Avenue International Food Festival, Japan Parade, Womens Choice Rallies, Romanian Festival in Manhattan, Tastes of Brooklyn Flatbush, Bay Fest, Fabulous 5th Avenue in Brooklyn, Jazz Festival in Jamaica Queens, Albanian Street Fair / Bronx Week and Piazza Belmont in the Bronx & the Great Staten Island Lighthouse Hunt
May 14, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Weather. Slight chance of 1/10 of an inch of rain after 7 pm Saturday and none on Sunday. Temperatures between 60 and the mid 70's all weekend. Winds at 5 mph. Humidity generally around 60%. So generally a pleasant weather weekend, except the bit of rain.
The photo at right was taken in Manhattan this week as about one hundred cyclists streamed down Broadway in Manhattan.
NYC Things To Do This Weekend NYC
Tuesday - Friday, May 10 - 20, 2022 - NYC X Design. This is at various venues at various times. It's all about the many facets of design - from workshops to exhibits to markets. Every day is chuck full of events - see www.nycxdesign.org for details. Many events are free.
Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend NYC
Tuesday - Friday, May 10 - 20, 2022 - NYC X Design. This is at various venues at various times. It's all about the many facets of design - from workshops to exhibits to markets. Every day is chuck full of events - see www.nycxdesign.org for details. Many events are free.
The photo at right was taken from Bar 54, a rooftop bar in Manhattan at sunset. The city is beginning to come alive again, after two years of subdued activity because of the pandemic.
Saturday & Sunday, May 14 & 15, 2022 from 10 am - 6 pm. 9th Avenue International Food Festival - Along 9th Ave between 42nd Street & 57th Street. Click here to view a map of the 9th Ave street fair in Manhattan. Midtown street fairs in NYC.
Saturday, May 14, 2022 from 10 am - 6 pm - Stonewall Veterans Fair - Along Broadway between 14th Street & Waverly in the Village NYC. St fairs in Manhattan NYC.
Saturday, May 14, 2022 beginning 1 pm - Japan Parade followed by Street Fair - The parade begins at 1 pm at Central Park West at 81st Street and marches down to 68th Street where it ends. There's a Japan Parade Street Fair that runs from 1 pm - 4.30 pm along 69th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West. Street fairs on the UWS in NYC.
Saturday, May 14, 2022 beginning at 2 pm - Womens Choice Rally - At Foley Square in Downtown Manhattan and also at Union Square Park [concurrently]. Free.
Sunday, May 15, 2022 from 10 am - 6 pm - Romania Day Festival - Along Broadway between Liberty and Battery Place. Celebration of over a century of Romanian unification and culture. In 2018 the fair included 30 stands of Romanian businesses, restaurants and artists out of a total of 300 stands. Entertainment, food & shopping. Tribeca street fairs nyc.
Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend NYC
Tuesday - Friday, May 10 - 20, 2022 - NYC X Design. This is at various venues at various times. It's all about the many facets of design - from workshops to exhibits to markets. Every day is chuck full of events - see www.nycxdesign.org for details. Many events are free.
The photo at right was taken at a Metro North train station on Sunday night as New Yorkers awaited the train to return to the city after visiting their mothers for Mothers Day.
Saturday, May 14, 2022 from 11 am - 6 pm. Graham Avenue Fiesta Brooklyn. Along Graham Avenue from Broadway to Boerum in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. Williamsburg street fairs / street festivals in Brooklyn.
Saturday, May 14, 2022 from 12 noon - 7 pm - Tastes of Brooklyn / Tastes of Flatbush Avenue - This event starts at Parkside Plaza at Ocean / Parkside Avenue in the Prospect Lefferts Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn. The event features over a dozen participating local restaurants offering tastes of their cuisine. Tickets range from $35 - $100 on eventbrite or at the starting point noted above for a number of tastes. Most of the restaurants are located along Flatbush and Nostrand Avenues.
Saturday, May 14, 2022 beginning at 12 noon - Womens Choice Rally - At Cadman Plaza in Downtown Brooklyn. Free.
Sunday, May 15, 2022 from 12 noon - 6 pm. Bayfest. At Emmons Avenue and East 27th Street in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn. Arts, crafts, amusement rides, bands, dance performances along the Brooklyn waterfront.
Sunday, May 15, 2022 from 11 am - 6 pm. Fabulous Fifth Avenue Street Fair. Along 5th Avenue between Sterling Place & 12th Street in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn. Brooklyn street fairs / St Fairs & festivals near the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn. Organized by the Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID. There will be plenty of food offerings at the bars and restaurants along 5th, as well as live entertainment at many of the venues.
Tuesday, May 17, 2022 beginning at 1.30 pm - Norweigan Day Parade - The parade steps off at 80th Street and 3rd Avenue in Bay Ridge. The parade route after stepping off, is as follows: turns right at 75th Street [aka Bay Ridge Parkway], left on 5th Avenue, to 67th Street and then along the Park - ending between 6th and 7th Avenues where the reviewing stand is. Street fairs in Bay Ridge Brooklyn NYC.
Queens Things To Do This Weekend NYC
Tuesday - Friday, May 10 - 20, 2022 - NYC X Design. This is at various venues at various times. It's all about the many facets of design - from workshops to exhibits to markets. Every day is chuck full of events - see www.nycxdesign.org for details. Many events are free.
The photo at right was taken in Queens last week, when the beautifully vivid colors of nature gave us a wondrous - but short lived - Spring bloom color show.
Saturday & Sunday, May 14 & 15, 2022 from 12 noon - 6 pm _ Downtown Jamaica Jazz Festival in Queens. They have nearly a dozen performances scheduled each day at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center at 153-10 Jamaica Avenue in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens. Jazz festivals in Queens.
Sunday, May 15, 2022 from 10 am - 6 pm - Astoria 31st Street Spring Festival - Along 31st Street from Ditmars Blvd to 21st Avenue sponsored by the Astoria Restoration Association.
Thursday through Sunday, May 19 - 22, 2022 runs 5 pm - 11 pm Thursday & Friday, and 1 - 11 pm Saturday & ending at 10 pm Sunday - 45th Annual Greek Festival at St Demetrios Church on 31st Avenue and 30th Drive. Old fashioned town fair including traditional Greek food, good rides and prizes for the kids, and Greek cultural music and dance entertainment. Click here for St Demetrios street fair map. 718.728.1718.
Bronx Things To Do This Weekend NYC
Ending Sunday May 15, 2022 - Bronx Week - Multiple events at various locations in the Bronx. Details coming, but in the meantime see their website at www.bronxboropres.nyc.
Sunday May 15, 2022 from 12 noon - 6 pm - Street Co-Naming Ceremony & Fair - In honor of Gjergi Kastrioti Skenderbeu. At the corner of Crescent and Arthur Avenues in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx. The event include Albanian culture, food, entertainment and games. By the Albanian American Open Hand Assn.
BELMONT - May 2022 EVERY weekend from 6pm to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 1pm to 9pm on Sundays - Piazza di Belmont - Outdoor dining on Arthur Avenue which will be closed to vehicular traffic from East 188th Street to Crescent Avenue during the above mentioned times.
Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend NYC
Sunday, May 15, 2022 from 10 am - 4 pm - The Great Staten Island Lighthouse Hunt. Begins at either the Staten Island Lighthouse in St. George or at the Conference House in Tottenville. The cost is $35 per carload or $15 per bicycle / motorcycle. Teams of three are recommended to drive, navigate and shoot photos.
Have a nice weekend.
Memorial Day Weekend Things To Do in NYC
Things To Do in NYC over the Memorial Day Weekend
May 10, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Memorial Day Weekend is a few weeks away. But given New Yorkers' interest in resuming some level of normalcy post pandemic, I thought you might want more time to figure out how you're going to spend the weekend.
NYC Weather on Memorial Day Last Year [2021]. The Temperature highs will be in the mid 70's on Friday, rising to 90 for Saturday and Sunday. The temperature lows will be around 60 on Friday and Sunday, rising to 70 on Saturday. No Rain is in the forecast. Winds will range between 5 - 12 mph all weekend. The Humidity will be betwen 40% - 60% through the weekend.
Click for an up-to-date forecast on NYC Weather.
Click here for Things to do Memorial Day in the Bronx NYC.
Click here for Things to do Memorial Day in Brooklyn NYC.
Click here for Things to do Memorial Day in Manhattan NYC.
Click here for Things to do Memorial Day in Queens NYC.
Click here for Things to do Memorial Day on Staten Island NYC.
We'll also have an update with additional events on the Friday the Memorial Weekend begins. Enjoy.
This Weekend Things to Do NYC
Mothers Day Weekend, Cannabis Parade, Indian Film Festival Begins, AIDS Walk in Central Park, TEFAF Show at the Armory, Municipal Art Society Janes Walk in all 5 Boros, Bronx Week & Piazza Belmont Returns, Arts & Craft Show & Carnival on Staten Island & Spring Festival at the LeFrak Center in Brooklyn, Mothers Day Stroll & Jackson Heights Orchestra in Queens
May 6, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Weather NYC. Cool with some rain and high winds on Saturday and both diminishing over Sunday. Details coming Shortly.
The photo at right was taken along 5th Avenue at about 50th Street during the Easter Bonnet Parade in Manhattan a couple of weeks ago. This week the Cannabis Parade marches down Broadway to Union Square Park.
Details on these and other events coming later today. It's 5.30 pm. I expect to have this completed by about 12 noon Saturday, hopefully sooner.
NYC Things To Do - All Boros
Mothers Day - scroll down for restaurant suggestions.
Saturday & Sunday, May 6 - 8, 2022 - Janes Walk - Various art, culture, history and architectural tours throughout all five boros of NYC. Organized by the Municipal Art Society. See https://www.mas.org/events/ for details.
Manhattan Things To Do
On Saturday, May 7, 2022 - parade from 11 am to 1 pm and after party from 1 pm - 5 pm. The Cannabis Parade festivities begin at 11 am at 32nd Street and Broadway. The parade begins at 12.30 pm from that location, marching south along Broadway to Union Square Park. Then, from 1 - 5 pm, there are performances and talks held in Union Square Park.
Friday - Tuesday, May 6 - 10, 2022 from 12 noon - 8 pm, except May 8 & 10 when it closes at 6 pm - TEFAF - The European Fine Art Foundation - Fine Art Show at the Park Avenue Armory at 643 Park Avenue in the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
Sunday, May 8, 2022 beginning at 10 am - AIDS Walk in Central Park. Their website doesn't give clear guidance on the route [they show a San Francisco map], but it seems to start at the 72nd east side entrance by Summer Stage and end at Rumsey Playfield. It's a four mile walk and you can sign up to run. Donations go to support the Gay Men's Health Crisis [GMHC].
Saturday - Saturday, May 7 - 14, 2022 - Indian Film Festival - At various times, mostly virtually, except the finale. For details see www.nyiff.us/
Janes Walk - see above. For fairs and farmers markets, see below.
Brooklyn Things To Do
Saturday, May 7, 2022 from 12 noon - 10 pm - Spring Fest. Food, music and entertainment. At the LeFrak Center in Prospect Park.
Janes Walk - see above. For fairs and farmers markets, see below.
Queens Things To Do
On Sunday from 11 am - 1 pm there's a Mothers Day Stroll on the 34th Avenue Promenade between 77th and 82nd Streets in Jackson Heights in Queens. Free. Organized by the Jackson Heights Beautification Group in conjunction with local government officials.
The Chocolate Factory theater has reopened at their new location at 38-33 24th Street in Long Island City in Queens. There are performances of Wings of Iron from May 18 - 21 and also of Diptych from May 19 - 21. Tickets are $25 and $20 respectively.
Jackson Heights Orchestra performs on Wednesday, May 11 beginning at 7.30 pm at St. Marks Episcopal Church in Jackson Heights, Queens. Tickets are a suggested donation of $20 / $10. For details see jhbg.org.
Janes Walk - see above. For fairs and farmers markets, see below.
Bronx Things To Do
Friday, May 5 - Sunday May 15, 2022 - Bronx Week - Multiple events at various locations in the Bronx. Details coming, but in the meantime see their website at www.bronxboropres.nyc.
The Stadium Fair usually held in May was moved to later in the season.
May 2022 EVERY weekend from 6pm to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 1pm to 9pm on Sundays - Piazza di Belmont - Outdoor dining on Arthur Avenue which will be closed to vehicular traffic from East 188th Street to Crescent Avenue during the above mentioned times.
Janes Walk - see above. For fairs and farmers markets, see below.
Staten Island Things To Do
Wednesday - Sunday, May 4 - 8, 2022 there's an Arts & Crafts Show at the Staten Island Mall at 2655 Richmond Avenue in the Heartland Village neighborhood. The show includes ceramics, glass, metal work, wood, jewelry, painting and photos. Current Mall Hours are Monday-Thursday 11am-7pm, Friday-Saturday 10am-8pm, Sunday 11am-6pm - but vendor times will likely vary.
The Heritage Farm Stand Farmers Market opens Saturday, May 7 from 9 am - 3.30 pm near the Botanical Garden at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Randall Manor on Staten Island.
Janes Walk - see above. For fairs and farmers markets, see links below.
Scroll down to April 26th story for some restaurant suggestions for Mothers Day brunch or dinner. And some of the seasonal farmers markets reopen this month, so you use these links to find one in your neighborhood - Bronx Farmers Markets NYC, Brooklyn Farmers Markets NYC, Manhattan Farmers Markets NYC, Queens Farmers Markets NYC, Staten Island Farmers Markets NYC. And we'll have the weekend street fairs updated sometime tonight - Manhattan street fairs, Queens street fairs, Brooklyn street fairs, Bronx street fairs, Staten Island street fairs.
Have a happy and healthy Mothers Day weekend.
Off the Red Carpet at the Met Gala's Gilded Age
I was on the Street During the Met Gala, with the Regular Folks of NYC
May 3, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Last night I went to see the red carpet arrivals at the Met Gala. The Met Gala is considered to be one of the most fashionable events of the year. It's by invitation only, costs between $30,000 and $35,000 per ticket. The event is generally said to run from about 6 pm to about 9.30 or 10.30 pm.
This year the fashion theme was of the opulence, fame and excess that accompanied the Gilded Age. But you'd never have known there was a theme, because the rich and famous of today - as back then - pretty much do whatever they want. And many of their outfits said just that.
Many observers think that the red carpet arrivals are the height of the show ... but then many observers likely never make it inside the museum to see how the other half parties.
Since this was my first time covering this event, I arrived unfashionably on time, around 6 pm, taking the subway to 86th Street as my limosine driver had the night off, and it really didn't matter, because my limosine was in the shop for repairs.
I made my way south to 84th Street and headed west toward the museum, where NYPD barricades had cordoned off the area from both automotive and pedestrian traffic. I had a Press Pass, so I was waived through, like the folks who could prove they lived there.
In the photo above right you see the crowd of people along 5th Avenue watching as the celebrity fashionistas strut their stuff prior to entering the Met Gala Monday night. In the photo at right you see a fashionista ingenue taking photos of the celebrity arrivals at the Met Gala.
Along 5th Avenue there was a crowd, of mostly females, generally on the younger side, but of all ages, and some accompanied by men. I believe some of the girls had come from the nearby local private high schools, as they were still wearing their uniforms. All were excited to see the celebrities walk down the red carpet, positioned north of the museum along 5th Avenue with a canopy above them, as the weather today was a bit uncertain.
We were confined to the east side of 5th Avenue, able to see the celebrities strut their stuff across the street, separated not just by the barricades and avenue, but also an intermittent flow of traffic including buses and taxis, which I suspect were filled with folks wanting a closer view - albeit for a very short period of time.
I snapped a number of photos of the red carpet baggers, some of which I'll include in a video later this week. While I didn't get photos of these folks, later on television I saw Kardi B, Pete Davidson with the Kardashian sisters, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, Billionaire Elon Musk, and numerousothers, as well as the honorary chairs, Tom Ford, Adam Mosseri and Anna Wintour.
I stayed for a while, before extricating myself from the crowd along 5th Avenue and making my way back to Madison Avenue. I started strolling down Madison Avenue which was also filled with mostly young women and girls. At 82nd Street I was surprised to see that this street - which leads to the entrance of the Metropolitan Museum - was not cordoned off.
A crowd had filled the street, getting tighter and more densely packed, the closer one came to the 5th Avenue entrance. A number of people came dressed for the occasion, including a couple in some Halloween like outfits [not shown here but possibly coming in the video], as well as those showcasing their own sense of style.
In the photo at right, you see the crowd on 82nd Street filled with young New Yorkers interested in fashion and celebrities, who have a bit of fashion sense of their own.
The weather was cool, but not wet, and so it was just shy of a perfect night, depending on what you were wearing. The Met Gala began in 1946. An estimated 400 people attend, and tables cost between $200,000 and $300,000. The proceeds from the fashion event, estimated to be about $60 million, go to the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute. Not a bad way to spend a Monday evening, even for the very wealthy of New York City.
As it was a nice evening I walked part of the way home, before heading back down into the subway where my chariot awaited, whisking me under the river and through the woods, to Queens.
This Weekend Things to Do NYC
Nice Weather Weekend for the 5 Boro Bike Ride NYC, Yankee Peddler Day at Historic Richmond Town Staten Island, Night Food Market & Orchid Show in the Bronx, May Day Festival & BAM Queer Film Weekend in Brooklyn, International Cultural Festival Queens & Dance Fest at Wolman Rink & Met Gala Monday in Manhattan ... and more ...
April 29, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Weather NYC. The temperature highs will rise from the low 60's on Friday to the high 60's on Saturday and Sunday. The temperature lows will rise from the low 40's on Friday, to the high 40's on Saturday to about 50 on Sunday. The humidity will be very low on Friday, ranging from 10% to 40%, rising to 30% - 45% on Saturday and then 35% to 55% on Sunday. The wind will finally settle down to 5 - 10 mph throughout the weekend. No rain is expected this weekend.
In the photo at right are cyclists participating in the 5 Boro Bike Ride as they make their way through Queens in a prior year. The cycling event returns Sunday. See details below.
Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend NYC
There's a Coney Island Polar Bear Club event on Saturday & Sunday at Wolman Rink in Central Park from 2 pm - 10 pm. It's a charity event and tickets aren't cheap at $191 / person. See www.wolmanrinknyc.com for details.
The 5 Boro Bike Ride returns to all five boroughs of NYC on Sunday. Details in Manhattan street fairs.
The Met Gala returns to the Metropolitan Museum on Monday.
Click here for Manhattan Farmers Markets.
Queens Things To Do This Weekend NYC
Sunday, May 1, 2022 from 12 noon - 6 pm - Steinway Street Cultural Festival along Steinway Street from 28th to 34th Avenue. Sponsored by Central Astoria LDC.
The art show entitled “Blood is Thicker than the Water that Separated U.S.,” will be on exhibit at the Lewis Latimer House Museum, 34-41 137th Street in Flushing until July 3rd. Free tickets are available to the public at www.lewislatimerhouse.eventbrite.com.
Click here for Queens street fairs and here for Queens Farmers Markets.
The photo below right was taken on the Upper West Side of Manhattan this week. Folks were wearing coats, as the wind was blustery most of the week, and the temperatures were a bit below normal. Better weather is on the way this weekend.
Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend NYC
There's a May Day Festival of Resistance is being held in Maria Hernandez Park at Knickerbocker Avenue and Suydam Street on Sunday from 1 - 7 pm by MayDaySpace.org of Bushwick. I think it's free.
In the Peter Jay Sharp Building at the Brooklyn Academy of Music aka BAM at 30 Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn, they will be showing various films with a queer theme all weekend. Tickets [$16 / $11] may be purchased online at www.bam.org.
Luna Park Amusement Park at Coney Island opened on April 2nd, for the 2022 season.
The Greenpoint Terminal market opens Sunday, as does the Bat Haus CoWorking Space Spring Market - Click here for details - Brooklyn street fairs .
Click here for Brooklyn Farmers Markets.
Bronx Things To Do This Weekend NYC
The Bronx Night Market, an outdoor food court, returns Saturday evening. See details in Bronx street fairs.
The Orchid Show at the NY Botanical Garden at 2900 Southern Blvd in the Bronx began in late February and continues through May 1.
Click here for Bronx Farmers Markets.
Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend NYC
Yankee Peddler Day returns to Historic Richmond Town on Sunday from 9.30 am - 3.30 pm. The market generally invites sellers to display goods from early America, as well as other items. See details in Staten Island street fairs.
The Conference House in Tottenville opened for the season on April 23rd and will be open Saturdays and Sundays for tours from 12 noon - 4 pm. They're located at 298 Satterlee Street on Staten Island.
Click here for Staten Island Farmers Markets.
Have a nice weekend.
Mothers Day Restaurants in NYC 2022
New York City Restaurants are Ready to Return to Life ... Beginning w/ Mothers Day ... Is This Irony and / or Coincidence?
April 26, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Restaurants / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Weather. This forecast is being made more than a week ahead of Mothers Day, so it could change. The temperature will be between 50 and 70 degrees. And there's an uncertain probability of precipitation. But celebrating Mothers Day isn't dependent on the weather, as how the day goes is up to you.
We posted a number of different reports, one for each borough, each of which provides a wide range of Mothers Day restaurant suggestions. Given the pandemic took a bit of a toll on local businesses and restaurants this will steer you to the ones that will be open and ready to accommodate families on Mothers Day.
Bronx Mothers Day Restaurants NYC 2022
Manhattan Mothers Day Restaurants NYC 2022
Queens Mothers Day Restaurants NYC 2022
Brooklyn Mothers Day Restaurants NYC 2022
Staten Island Mothers Day Restaurants NYC 2022
Enjoy.
This Weekend Things to Do NYC
Very Nice Earth Day Weekend Ahead, Orthodox Easter Weekend, Passover ends Saturday, NY Auto Show ends Sunday, Persian Day Parade Sunday, Orchid Show in the Bronx; Luna Park Open at Coney Island, BAM, Andy Warhol exhibits in Brooklyn; Museums in Queens & Earth Day Celebration on Staten Island Saturday
April 22, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Weather NYC. The temperature highs will be in the 60's and the temperature lows will be around 50. No rain. Humidity will range from 35% - 45% on Friday, 45% - 65% on Saturday and 55% - 65% on Sunday. Winds will be 8 - 12 mph Friday, dropping to 5 - 8 mph for the rest of the weekend.
In the photo at right is a woman dressed up for the annual Bonnet Parade held last Sunday in Manhattan. The event has morphed from a genteel event, where women dressed up fancy for and after Sunday Mass, to something more of a themed costume party, where both men and women dress up in their Easter best.
NYC Things To Do - Earth Day & Greek Orthodox Holy Friday
Today is Earth Day. Early this morning some folks from Extinction Rebellion protested at the printing plant in College Point that prints the NY Post, New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Two of the three newspapers are controlled by Australian born Oligarch and climate information distortionaist and minimizer, Rupert Murdoch, who also controls Fox News and owns a large influential share of ABC News.
This is also Greek and Eastern European Orthodox Christian Easter Weekend. One of my favorite Greek traditions is where the Greek parishoners reenact part of the Passion of the Christ in a march through the street. A man carries the cross and a number of men carry the epitaphios, which is a flowered funerary cask. You can view this on the streets of Astoria in multiple locations, including near St. Demetrios Cathedral, in Astoria. In Manhattan you can attend a similar event at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church at 143 East 17th Street only blocks away from Gramercy Park. Generally the masses begin at 7 pm and the processions begin at 8 pm, sometimes a bit later. And then, of course, on Sunday there's an Easter mass.
The photo at right was taken in an earlier year of the Holy Friday procession with the epitaphios in Astoria.
And Passover, which celebrates the Jews freedom from slavery thousands of years ago, ends Saturday.
A number of farmers markets are already open for the season, with many others to open over the coming months. We finished updating them this past week so you can view the markets in each of the boroughs, using the link(s) included in the report below.
Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend NYC
On Saturday, April 23rd assembling at 11 am and kicking off at 12 noon, the Sikh Parade marches south along Madison Avenue from 39th Street down to Madison Square Park. Usually there's a festival of sorts after the parade.
On Sunday, April 24th beginning at 11 am, the Persian Day Parade kicks off along Madison Avenue from 39th Street down to Madison Square Park. Usually there's a festival of sorts after the parade.
NY Auto Show opened at the Javits Center on Friday, April 15th and runs through Sunday, April 24th. Tickets are $17 adult / $7 child at www.autoshowny.com.
There are a couple of street fairs in Manhattan.
Queens Things To Do This Weekend NYC
The photo at right was taken in Queens last week, where you can see the trees - all white - budding. This weekend, they've turned a bright green.
The art show entitled “Blood is Thicker than the Water that Separated U.S.,” will be on exhibit at the Lewis Latimer House Museum, 34-41 137th Street in Flushing until July 3rd. Free tickets are available to the public at www.lewislatimerhouse.eventbrite.com.
The Museum of the Moving Image is hosting an exhibit that began December 18, 2021 and runs through May 15, 2022 entitled Deepfake: Unstable Evidence on Screen. The exhibit explores how fact becomes distorted and fictionalized via the moving image screen. At the centerpiece of it all is the distortion of the Apollo 11 moon mission. The museum is open Friday from 2 - 8 pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 12 noon - 6 pm. For details and tickets see www.movingimage.us. Admission $15 / $11 / $9.
There are a couple of street fairs in Queens.
Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend NYC
The photo at right was taken from the subway in Brooklyn, showing the downtown, where highrise buildings have been rising into the sky like weeds with each passing year.
The Brooklyn Museum at 200 Eastern Parkway has about a dozen exhibits running at present. The two featured exhibits focus on Andy Warhol's Revelation print which explores the artist's religious faith [closes June 19, 2022]. The other is one entitled A Crack in the Hourglass, An Ongoing COVID-19 Memorial which grapples with the incredible loss of life during the pandemic [closes June 26,2022]. Admission is $25 / $16 / $10 and CoVid protocols remain in effect. Details and tickets at www.brooklynmuseum.org.
Luna Park [amusement park] at Coney Island opened a few weeks ago for the season.
In the Peter Jay Sharp Building at the Brooklyn Academy of Music aka BAM at 30 Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn, they will be showing various films all weekend starting at 1.15 pm, with the last showtime at 9.40 pm. CoVid protocols remain in effect and tickets [$16 / $11] may be purchased online at www.bam.org
Bronx Things To Do This Weekend NYC
The Orchid Show at the NY Botanical Garden at 2900 Southern Blvd in the Bronx began in late February and continues through May 1.
The photo at right was taken of Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on home opening weekend. The season has begun, bringing with it, a certain rhythm to the borough. The Yankees have a 7 - 6 record and are one game out of first place, after Toronto. The Mets meanwhile are in first place with a 10 - 4 record, which is 'amazing'. As there are 162 games in the season, there's plenty of time where just about anything can happen.
Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend NYC
On Saturday there's an Earth Day celebration from 11 am - 3 pm at Fresh Kills Park at 2240 Richmond Avenue on Staten Island. There are a number of activities for both kids and adults including composting, planting, nature walks, yoga and storytimes. It's free. www.freshkillspark.org.
I may find a bit more to add as the weekend progresses, but in the meantime, have a nice weekend.
NYC Farmers Markets 2022
Year Round Farmers Markets in NYC Continue & New Season Beckons
April 21, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.
With taxes behind us, we can now look forward to the warmer weather and spending more time outside, after a long two years of limited activity.
While the mask mandates are under contention, NYC and NYS remain resolute in continuing them a while longer on public transit, which millions crowd into daily, and then spread out into the rest of the city and state.
Younger men are the most likely demographic group to not wear masks. They say caution is the better part of valor, which essentially means you don't have to prove you're stupid, by 'proving your manhood' by not wearing a mask. It's not just compliance with the law, it's also a sign of respect to your fellow passengers who might be older or have underlying conditions, which make them more susceptible to illness, hospitalizations and death.
Anyhow, I digress, as things are looking up. For the past two years many farmers markets remained open, as they were classified as essential businesses and held outdoors so considered less of a potential breeding ground for CoVid. While many remained open, they curtailed hours, and some went on hiatus or completely closed down.
To inform you as to which farmers markets are returning and which are not, we've kept the closed farmers markets on our pages, but denote those that are closed and suggest whether they are likely to reopen - for the few that may. The rest is an update for the 2022 season of NYC farmers markets, including opening and closing dates / times, food selections, payment options and related services like composting and clothing collection for those who are trying to do their best to help save our planet.
We'll update these pages again as we enter the opening of the first wave of seasonal markets in May / June and again in July. In the meantime here's a guide to farmers markets, including those that are open year round, by NYC borough. Enjoy.
Staten Island Farmers Markets NYC
This Weekend Things to Do NYCMets Opener Queens, Taxes, Passover, Easter Bonnet Parade, NY Auto Show & Fairs Manhattan; Orchid Show in the Bronx; Luna Park in Coney Island, BAM, Andy Warhol exhibit in Brooklyn; Museums in Queens & Staten IslandApril 15, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC. Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 60's Friday and Saturday, descending to around 50 on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the mid 50's on Friday, dropping to the low 40's on Saturday and to around 40 on Sunday. There's a high probability (70%) of about a quarter inch of rain or less between the hours of 5 pm - 10 pm Saturday, otherwise dry. Winds will be 10 - 15 mph all weekend. Humidity will be about 35% Friday, rising to 45% - 65% Saturday, and falling back to 40% - 50% on Sunday. The photo at right was taken in Times Square ... where else would you find such a normal group of people? Passover begins Friday. This is also the Catholic and Protestant Easter Weekend. Next weekend is the Orthodox Christian Easter Weekend. And remember your taxes are normally due today, but because of the Emancipation Day holiday in Washington, D.C. I understand that taxes can be filed on Monday, April 18th.
Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend NYCNY Auto Show opened at the Javits Center on Friday, April 15th and runs through Sunday, April 24th. Tickets are $17 adult / $7 child at www.autoshowny.com. There's the Easter Bonnet Parade beginning at 10 am on Sunday and winding down by mid afternoon. The parade takes place along 5th Avenue from 49th to 57th Streets. I have heard but not seen for myself, that it's more of a milling about in bonnets and other Easter outfits, than a real parade. On Saturday, April 16th from 10 am - 6 pm there's the 6th Avenue Herald Square Fair along 6th Avenue from 23rd to 32nd Streets in Manhattan. On Sunday, April 17th from 10 am - 6 pm there's the Upper West Side Broadway Fair along the East side of Broadway from 96th to 106th Streets on the east side of Broadway.
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Russia Ukraine War Report Series - March - May 2022This section contains our Russia Ukraine War Report Series which we began in March of 2022. We hope it will end by the end of May, but who knows how long it will take the Russian people to rise up against the oppressive Putin dictatorship / regime.
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The Yankees May Have Lost Sunday, but Not Because of Their Fans
I Encountered Yankees Fans on the #4 Train on Their Way to the Game
April 13, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.
In the photo at right you see a group of Yankees fans on their way to the game on Sunday, April 10th. While the game was scheduled to begin at 8 pm, these super fans were on their way to the ball park at 4 pm.
They were brimming with enthusiasm, as the Yankees' 2022 season was off to a good start, beating their arch nemesis, the Boston Red Sox, in the season opener on Friday and again on Saturday. Unfortunately, the Red Sox rallied late in the game and won 4 - 3.
The video shows a few scenes of this group's talent and enthusiasm for the Yankees.
Things To Do in NYC This WeekendIn Manhattan Tartan Day Parade, Fair, Ukrainian Benefit Concert, Art Expo, Reelabilities Film Fest, Winter Antiques & Macy's Flower Shows End Sunday; Nai Ni Chen & Bill Charlap at Flushing Town Hall in Queens; Luna Park in Coney Island, BAM, Fair & Andy Warhol exhibit in Brooklyn, Yankees Home Opener, Play, Talk & Orchid Show in the Bronx; Poetry Reading & Easter Egg Coloring on Staten Island;April 8, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC. Weather. The temperature highs will be in the 50's all weekend, descending from the highs to the lows as the weekend progresses. The temperature lows will be in the 40's following the same progression as the temperature highs. Winds will rise from 5 - 10 mph on Friday to about 5 - 15 mph for the rest of the weekend. Humidity will be in the 65% range on Friday and Saturday, falling to the 50% range on Sunday. There's a 60% chance of about a tenth of an inch of rain between 7 am and 2 pm on Saturday. In the photo at right you see a 'Docker's' style ping pong match in Bryant Park.
Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend NYCOn Sunday, April 10 from 3 - 5 pm there's a Ukrainian Benefit Concert at Old St. Patrick's Cathedral at 261 Mott Street in Manhattan. Tickets are $20 on Eventbrite. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-erben-benefit-concert-for-ukraine-tickets-304276949547 Saturday, April 9, 2022 from 10 am - 6 pm - 4th Avenue Festival - Along 4th Avenue from 9th to 14th streets in the Village neighborhood of Manhattan. Street fairs in NYC Manhattan. This Weekend - The Reelabilities Film Festival runs through the weekend [ends April 20] including in-person events at the Museum of the Moving Image on Saturday 4/9 at 1 pm, Lincoln Centeron Saturday 4/9 at 11 am and the Marlene Myerson JCC [Jewish Cultural Community] at 344 Amsterdam Avenue at 78th Street in Manhattan throughout the week. See www.reelabilities.org/newyork/ for details. This Weekend - Art Expo NYC is at Pier 36 at 299 South Street in Manhattan. Admission costs between $0 - $50. For details visit https://redwoodartgroup.com/artexpo-new-york/ Saturday, April 9, 2022 from 2 pm to 4 pm - the Tartan Day Parade. Along 6th Avenue at 45th Street, marching north to 55th Street in Midtown. The festivities begin the week preceding it. See www.nyctartanweek.org. Tartan Day parade in Manhattan. Saturday, April 9, 2022 from 10 am - 6 pm - 4th Avenue Festival - Along 4th Avenue from 9th to 14th streets in the Village neighborhood of Manhattan. Street fairs in NYC Manhattan. The Winter Antiques Show at 660 Madison at 61st Street in Manhattan ends this weekend [April 1 - 10]. See www.winterantiques.com for hours, admission and other details. The Macy's Flower Show started Sunday, March 27th and ends this weekend on April 10th at Macy's at Herald Square in Manhattan.
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* Ukraine VI: War Sustainability & Possible Outcomes
A Closer Look at the Probable and Possible Outcomes of the Russo-Ukrainian War
April 4, 2022 / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz
In Part VI, we're going to zoom into the current situation, looking at their wars are being financed, recent politics in both Russia and Ukraine, and popular support for the war in each nation.
THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. IT IS EXPECTED TO BE FINISHED BY SOMETIME NEXT WEEK.
A Little More History
The Cossacks were legendary fighters. The name trouble w/ authority so headed to the steppes.
Russia Relations - include Catherine II and Potemkin Village -
Two premiers, Nikita Kruschev and Leonid Brezhnev, were Ukrainians. And both of them helped moved the Soviet Union toward a less autocratic repressive regime.
Industry & Natural Resources
Natural gas, wheat, corn, fertilizer and the Black Sea / Azov.
They are a country rich in natural resources including coal, iron and steel, natural gas and oil (?).
They have x number of nuke plants. They became a technology and weapons sector during Soviet times in the 1980's.
There's a natural gas pipeline that flows through the Ukraine that provides a good part of Europe with its energy. It's still flowing as it also provides Russia with a significant amount of its reserves.
Languages and ethnicity is mixed. Borders fluctuated with the Poles in the west and the Russians in the east.
Ukrainian, Russian and Polish. Ironically the eastern section of the nation is where Russian is based and they voted to go west toward Europe. The western, Ukrainian / Polish part leaned toward Russia. There's enough of an ethnic and language mix there to defy easy categorizations, so beware.
Lang map.
The cities are predominantly in the east along the Dnieper River, Black Sea, Sea of Azov and the Russian border. That's also. where the industries and technology are. The western half of the nation is largely agrarian.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the Russian Ukrainian War - Ukrainian Politics, Ukrainian Languages & Ethnicities, Russian War Sustainability Economy, Popular Support, Trade, Media, Technology, Food, Currency, Stock Market, International Standing, Morality.
How Mentally Ill is the Australian Born Oligarch Rupert Murdoch?
Murdoch & his Rubber Stamp 'WSJ Editorial Board' Continue to Push the Bounds of Indecency with this Image
A Former Prime Minister of Rupert Murdoch's Native Australia called Murdoch a 'Cancer on Democracy', Murdoch was Called 'Unfit to Run an International Company' by a Member(s) of British Parliament, Murdoch's Company was Alleged to have Hacked the Phones of the Victims of 911 for Headlines, as well as the Phone of a Mother Whose Daughter was Murdered [also for headlines], he's been Accused of Government Corruption Many Times, and for Inciting the U.S., Britain & Australia to Invade Iraq for [Oil and] Ratings
April 4, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
You don't have to have a journalism degree to see what's wrong with this image.
You don't have to be a member of an Editorial Board of one of the nation's three daily newspapers to see what's wrong with this image.
You don't need to be an editor to see what's wrong with this image.
What you do need is some sense of decency.
Which is what is totally lacking in the character of the man who controls the Wall Street Journal and it's Editorial Board - Australian born Oligarch, Rupert Murdoch.
After researching and watching him since 2015, I have come to the conclusion that he is easily a sociopath [weak moral compass], and more likely a psychopath [unstable and aggressive personality disorder].
See for yourself on these two WSJ pages before they hopefully have the decency or shame to take it down.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-told-the-truth-putin-has-to-go-russia-ukraine-invasion-leader-free-world-regime-change-11648998065?mod=hp_opin_pos_3
https://www.wsj.com/articles/strategic-defeat-putin-russia-blinken-biden-zelensky-bucha-war-crime-kyiv-mass-grave-atrocities-united-nations-un-human-rights-shelling-odessa-ukraine-11649016865?mod=hp_opin_pos_1
It's worth reminding people that this man, Rupert Murdoch, controls or wields incredible influence in about half of our daily national news media [Fox, NY Post, WSJ & ABC News], which is why things have become so messed up since he arrived on our shores. But the TV newspeople who do and don't work for him, fail to inform the nation, by calling him out.
I believe most Americans don't even know who he is [somebody needs to conduct a poll]. And he greatly influences - if not controls - the national conversation.
Part VI of the Ukraine series coming this week.
Things To Do in NYC This WeekendApril Fools Parade Today in Manhattan, Opening Art Reception at the Latimer House & Deepfake at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens; Luna Park in Coney Island Opens & Andy Warhol exhibit in Brooklyn, Fotos Femininas & the Orchid Show in the Bronx; Jacques Marchais Tibetan Museum Resumes Activities, the Lighthouse Museum hosts Presentation of the Living Breakwaters Project & Cicadas on Staten Island; Winter Antiques Show Begins, Macy's Flower Show Continues & Art Exhibit ending Manhattan Gallery & Ramadan Holy Month begins SaturdayApril 1, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC. Weather. The temperature highs will be around 50 through the weekend and the temperature lows will be around 40. There's a 50 - 80% chance of rain on Sunday between 7 am and 3 pm, otherwise the rest of the weekend should be rain free. Winds will be 15 - 20 mph on Friday, falling to 5 - 10 mph for the rest of the weekend. The humidity will be 60% on Friday, falling to 40% - 50% for the rest of the weekend. The photo at right was taken on Friday, showing the trees budding what seems almost a month early. The old saying "April showers bring May flowers" may have to be revised to account for climate change.
Things to do in Manhattan This Weekend
The masks at right are being provided to marchers in the April Fools Parade this year. Every year the parade commemorates the 'King of Fools' of the past year. This year the winner is the dictator 'President' of Russia, Vladimir Putin. April 1 - 10 - Winter Antiques Show at 660 Madison at 61st M. Details to follow. On Saturday from 10 am - 6 pm there's the West Side Spring Fair along the East Side of Broadway from 110th to 116th Street. The Macy's Flower Show started Sunday, March 27th and runs through April 10th at Macy's at Herald Square in Manhattan. The Rick Wester Fine Art Gallery at 526 West 26th Street, Suite 417, is hosting a few exhibits including Rachel Wren's 'Still It Grows' and Wendi Schneider's 'Into The Mist' until April 2nd. The gallery is open until 6 pm Wednesday through Saturday, and closed Sundays. While the Tartan Day Parade is next Saturday, April 9th, the festivities begin this week. See www.nyctartanweek.org.
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The April Fools Parade begins at an undisclosed time [usually it begins at 12 noon or 1 pm] at 59th Street and 5th Avenue and marches down 5th Avenue to Washington Square Park. The King of Fools Award will be given out to a likely absent Vladimir Putin. The event organizer, Joey Skaggs, informs us that this is the 37th year of the parade. For details see www.joeyskaggs.com, where you can also download a mask to wear at the parade and awards ceremony.Ukraine Part V: Adding Context to the Shallow Reporting of TV News
In Part V We Delve into the Russian Politics Leading up to the War in Ukraine, the Role of the Russian Mob and Oligarchs and a Look at NATO Expansion & What's Happening at the Peace Negotiation Table in Turkey
March 28, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
To Understand Russia Today, a Little Background is in Order - Unfortunately the Incredibly Lame TV News is Failing Miserably at Providing it
In the graphic at right is the head of the Russian mob, Semion Mogilevich. Mogilevich, a Ukrainian, rose in the criminal world in Russia reportedly starting in the 1980's. In the early 1990's as the government of the Soviet Union was collapsing, Mogilevich and Vladimir Putin became fast friends.
At that time, the Russian mob began spreading like cancer to the nations of Eastern Europe, as well as to Britain and the U.S.. The spread of the Russian mob was fueled by disgruntled Russian veterans from the Afghanistan War, and by ill-gotten gains, some of which allegedly came from an incredibly corrupt Russian government which was first headed by Boris Yeltsin, and then his hand-picked successor, Vladimir Putin.
One of Mogilevich's under bosses met with Donald Trump as early as 1984. According to a January 12, 2019 report by Vox,
"... The very first episode that's been documented, to my knowledge, was in 1984 when David Bogatin -- who is a Russian mobster, convicted gasoline bootlegger, and close ally of Semion Mogilevich, a major Russian mob boss -- met with Trump in Trump Tower right after it opened. Bogatin came to that meeting prepared to spend $6 million, which is equivalent to about $15 million today ... Bogatin bought five condos from Trump at that meeting. Those condos were later seized by the government, which claimed they were used to launder money for the Russian mob ..."
The Primary Differences Between a Free Society & a Dictatorship - Truth & Transparency vs Deception & Corruption
Except for the most corrupt of people, most humans - given the choice - would like to live in a democracy: 1) in a society governed by laws, 2) where free speech doesn't get you 15 years in prison or a death sentence like it does in Russia today, 3) in a nation where you get to choose your leaders, and 4) can non-violently fire your leaders when they implement bad policies for the nation. That's what we have here in America, and that's what most of the other NATO countries offer their people.
At present Russia is the bizarro rendition of the free, democratic nations of NATO. Putin's changing of the Russian Federation Constitution in 2020 essentially enables him to hold government power for the rest of his life [until 2036, when he's age 83]. And the imprisonment and multi-year sentencing of Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny in 2021 / 2022, shows that Russian rule of law is merely a charade. Reportedly between 13,000 and 15,000 Russian peaceful protesters have been jalied since the Russian Invasion of Ukraine began in late February of 2022. Unfortunately, aspirations of becoming a free society, where the people are able to pick and choose their own leaders, continues to elude Russia, as the corruption in the Russian Federation electoral process, makes voting seem a useless waste of time.
For these and other reasons, Ukraine embarked on the path toward joining NATO since the collapse of the Soviet Union. And, as described in Part II of this report series, that's also why the Ukrainians have been seeking independence from Russia for at least a century - if not longer - prior to this most recent Russian invasion.
From Gorbachev to Yeltsin - Before, During & After the Fall of the Berlin Wall
Mikhail Gorbachev was the Secretary General of the Communist Party from 1985 to 1990. During his terms in office, he was a reformer who advocated for glasnost, which was the opening up of Russian society. Through glasnost, the government was more consultative with the people with respect to the policies it pursued, and there was wider dissemination of information. For the first time in about two thirds of a century [since the Russian Revolution] the Russian government loosened its restrictive control over the populace. Gorbachev also decided that Russia needed to withdraw from Afghanistan in 1989 [see our report on Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan which compares the two], since it was a winless war. In 1979, Secretary General Leonid Brezhnev had also expressed an openness to reforming the Russian government's role in society.
In November 1989, the Berlin Wall fell. Germany and Russia negotiated for East Germany's independence from the Soviet Union. In March of 1990, Mikhail Gorbachev became the first President of the Soviet Union. He continued trying to move Russia into the modern world via Perestroika, which at first was about automation, but grew to entail economic and social reforms. Some of the Eastern European nations, like Lithuania, began to push for greater autonomy from the Soviet Union. To continue on the reform path, Gorbachev needed money, and this is where the west failed Russia during this transition.
By failing to help Gorbachev, by keeping Russia frozen out of the G7 which would have given him access to the liquidity of global markets, things worsened in Russia. Eventually a group of eight leaders of the Communist Party held Gorbachev under house arrest while he was vacationing near the Black Sea, in an attempt to stage a coup. Gorbachev refused to make / legitimize the governmental changes they demanded.
Back in Moscow, Boris Yeltsin, President of the Soviet State [which if I understand this correctly that Soviet state is now Russia], stepped in with troops loyal to him and protesters to stop the storming of the Russian Parliament and to save the government of Gorbachev's Soviet Union [which included all other Soviet republics at the time as well as Yeltsin's Soviet State]. By beating back the coup initiated by the members of Gorbachev's own Communist Party, Yeltsin ascended to the top spot. But not until after some changes were made.
Weekend Things To Do NYC - March 2022This section contains our Weekend Things To Do reports for the month of March 2022.
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Ukraine IV: Adding Context to What You're Seeing on the TV Networks
In Part IV We Delve into the Weapons of War, Current Scorecard, Media & Morale
March 21, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
I found the map at right on Al Jazeera, an Islamic news site founded in Qatar, which is located in the Persian Gulf, about 2150 miles south of Crimea. It provided more detail than most other maps I found, showing the status of the cities and nearby lands.
Recap of Parts I, II & III
We began this series immediately after the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, in order to better understand ourselves what was going on, because it was difficult to find anything on the American television networks that seemed to provide a solidly contextual view of the evolving situation.
Thus, in Part I, I looked at the size of the populations and economies, a brief look at recent history, the changing borders defining the Ukraine, and the warped, fascist-leaning coverage, of Australian-born, billionaire propagandist, Rupert Murdoch's Fox News.
In Part II, I looked at some of the geography and topography of the Ukraine, its strategic value to Russia because of the north / south Dnieper River which begins in Smolensk Russia and empties into the warm water Black, again provided a bit deeper dive into Ukrainian history and the role of the Cossacks in the Russian Revolution, WWI and WWII [some of which Putin has been trying to leverage in his propaganda campaign], stumbled upon and looked into Putin's incredible alleged corruption and his $1.4 billion grand palace overlooking a resort town of the Black Sea, how Putin's crony corruption and Russian army conscription of primarily poor people appears to help explain the Russian army's failures since the war began, and how Americans - who appear to be Putin enablers and apologists - have been disrupting our response to the crisis, and distorting the information the American people are getting.
Since before Putin's Russia invaded the Ukraine, Tucker Carlson has appeared to be a Putin toadie. This is no surprise as Tucker visited Viktor Orban in Hungary last year, because Joe Biden called Orban a thug. Again President Biden appears to know what he's talking about as according to Wikipedia,
"... Because of Orbán's curtailing of press freedom, erosion of judicial independence and undermining of 
multiparty democracy, many political scientists and watchdogs consider Hungary to have experienced democratic backsliding during Orbán's tenure. Orbán's attacks on the European Union, while accepting its money and funneling it to his allies and family have also led to characterizations of his government as a kleptocracy..."
In one of Carlson's broadcasts the Tucker rhetorically states that,
"... anything less than hating Putin is treason ...".
Tucker then goes on to attack those who don't think Putin is such a great guy, blaming "the elites or the liberals or the Democrats" for pushing us around. This is the same old tired narrative Carlson uses in show, after show, after show - and yet somehow all of those 'bright people' who watch him don't tire of it. Carlson's multi-billionaire, Australian born boss - global propagandist Rupert Murdoch - has been using that narrative [blame the elities] since at least the 1960's, to undermine English-speaking democracies around the globe, in order to enrich and empower himself, in a manner comparable to Putin - but more slowly and insidiously, and with fewer casualties.
Hey, You Dumb Tucker, Putin is a War Criminal - Women & Children Dead
So, to answer the Tucker's question, why should we hate Putin, I've included a few photos of Putin's recent handiwork. At right and below is an man injured by Putin's goons, followed by another man that Putin's goons killed, and further down is one of many locations, housing some of the 3.5 million Ukrainian refuges fleeing the war. Another 6 million Ukrainians have been displaced within their own nation. And countless others have been murdered by Putin's unprovoked invasion and war.
It's worth noting that within the past two weeks, Putin's goons have bombed a maternity hospital, a theater housing children and a number of schools - all in Mariupol which is located in southern Ukraine along the Black Sea, as well as a shopping center in Kyiv. None of these targets were military, all of them housed women, and at least three of the four locations housed children. So, to answer Tucker's question, the reason we might not like Putin is because he's a murderous war criminal, who continues to be aided and abetted by Tuckers like you, and your billionaire boss, Rupert Murdoch, who controls Fox News ... because of your deceitful and distorted reporting of the news - including omissions of some of the information and photos provided here. The photos above right was shown on Amanpour & Company, a news hour that provides very informative interviews, and below right was shown on CBS Face the Nation, a Sunday News program.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the Russian Ukrainian War - Weapons, Tucker Carlson & Vladimir Putin Love Affair, Putin's Alleged War Crimes, Nuclear Warheads, Hypersonic & Other Missiles, Aircraft, Tanks, Stingers, Javelins, NLAWs, Russian Navy issues in Black Sea, Kamikaze & Turkish Drones, Army Sizes, Logistics, Casualties and Morale.
Ukraine III: Adding Context to What You're Seeing on the TV Networks
In Part III We Delve into the Threat of WWIII, the Russia / China Pact of February 2022 to Keep Dictators Putin & Xi Jinping in Power is Reminiscent of '1939 Pact of Steel' by Mussolini & Hitler, Putin's Alleged Corruption & Yacht, and the Putin-Pleasing-Propaganda-Press in America
March 14, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Recap of Part I
In Part I, two weeks ago, I looked at the relative sizes of the economy, population and industries of Russia vis a vis Ukraine. This was followed by a very short topline summary of some of the politics, culture and fluctuating borderlines of the Ukraine. And lastly, talked about how Fox News, the Wall St. Journal and the NY Post which are owned and controlled by a fascist-leaning billionaire from Australia [Rupert Murdoch], appears to be aiding and abetting Putin's War by continually bashing the Biden Administration, through his cadre of propagandists.
In the graphic at right, put together by the BBC in London, you can see that western Ukraine has largely been left alone, while the war rages in the East mostly along the Russian border. Western forces should be sure to provide Ukrainian forces with sea and river mines to thwart Russia's water borne assault capabilities along the Black Sea and the Dnieper River. They should also give consideration to bombing Putin's Palace at Gelendzhik on the Black Sea in order to publicize the alleged corruption of Putin and the Oligarchs as one of the reasons that the Russian forces have fared so poorly and why Putin - like Benito Mussolini - is reportedly asking [begging] Xi Jinping for financial and weaponry handouts. Both Putin and Xi deny the reports.
Recap of Part II - Putin's Alleged Palace & Corruption Impact on Russian Military, Morale of Russian Military - Half of Whom are Poor Peasant Conscripts - the Economic & Military Value of the Ukraine to Russia & the Fighting Heritage of the Cossacks
In Part II, a week ago, I talked about how Australian born billionaire, mass media propagandist Rupert Murdoch and dictator Vladimir Putin's tactics share many similarities. They are differentiated in that Rupert Murdoch uses economic muscle and propaganda to get indirect control / influence over the corporations and governments he wants to plunder. While Vladimir Putin also uses economic muscle and propaganda - but enhances it with a Nazi tactic by adding violence and force to the mix - to obtain direct control over the corporations and governments he wants to plunder. All of these tactics were used by the Nazis to gain control - first of Germany and then a significant portion of Europe.
The graphic at right shows Rupert Murdoch and Vladimir Putin during happier times. Eventually Murdoch exited Russian media under duress, likely because Putin realized how Murdoch manipulated his audiences. A Russian Oligarch, Boris Berezovsky, was said to be a Murdoch friend who at one time controlled a lot of Russian media. Berezovsky was believed to have been murdered, but it could not be proven, so the coroner left the verdict open. So why does Murdoch media appear to favor Putin? Fear? Because both have fascist tendencies? Or both?
Then I delved into the importance of the Dnieper River, which flows south from Smolensk in Russia through the Ukraine and into the Black Sea. It's important because currently Russia has limited access to the world waterways via the Baltic Sea which is treacherous for much of the year, and the Black Sea which is a body of water shared by many nations, including many of the former Soviet Republics, including Ukraine.
Conquering Ukraine would give Russia a broader, more defensible / offensible presence on the Black Sea. This is likely of great concern to other Black Sea nations such as Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Georgia. All but the last two are NATO member nations. And the Ukraine was working toward becoming an eligible member.
I also talked about Putin's $1.4 billion mansion at Gelendzhik, which is a beachside tourist resort in Russia along the Black Sea. Putin denies he built the mansion with public funds, although a number of military observers believe that Putin and the Oligarchs looted the Russian Defense budget, which is why Russia has performed so poorly in this war. Also, about half of the Russians of their 600,000 fighting force were young men conscripted to die for Putin's War in a manner not unlike what happened to the poor Russians during WWI when the Czars sent them to fight for the Czar's throne.
In the graphic at right, an American cartoonist shares a worldwide point of view that Putin is a war criminal.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the Russian Ukrainian War - Russia China Friendship Pact 2022, 1939 Pact of Steel Hitler Mussolini, Putin Yacht and Corruption, Australian Oligarch Murdoch's Mass Media Distortions in America.
St Pat's Day 2022 - Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants in NYC
Most Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants We Cover Survived & Are Ready to Party, but Remember Reduced Capacity Seating Offset by Outdoor Seating & CoVid Guidelines Still Apply
March 11, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Irish Pubs Bars & Restaurants / Gotham Buzz NYC.
We're a bit less than a week away from St. Patrick's Day 2022. Two years ago we were all waking up to a new reality ... the CoVid pandemic. So the NYC St. Patrick's Day parade in Manhattan was hugely scaled down ... and many in the outer boroughs were cancelled. This year they all return in spades.
So things are looking up. Restaurants and bars are mostly back to some sort of normal and most still have outdoor dining. The current weather forecast [as of 3/11/22] for St. Patrick's Day calls for temperatures to range from 50 - 60 degrees with a 30% possibility of a wee bit of rain.
I've compiled a set of Irish pubs, bars and restaurants in each borough for you to peruse, if you're contemplating going out that day. Please remember, that like New Years Eve, all the amateur drinkers come out, including those not Irish, so be careful.
So enjoy yourself, responsibly and respectfully, so that the day after St. Patricks Day is a good one too.
- St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Bronx
- St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Brooklyn
- St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Manhattan
- St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Queens
- St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Staten Island
Ukraine II: Filling in Context Not Provided by Corporate Run American TV Networks
In Part II We Delve into the 20th Century History of Ukraine vis a vis its Relationship with Russia & Examine a Couple of Putin's Propaganda Narratives, One of Which Murdoch's Fox News Amplifies
March 7, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The photo at right is currently on exhibit in 'The Storming of the Capitol' photo exhibit at the Bronx Documentary Film Center in the Melrose neighborhood of the Bronx. It shows how seemingly 'ordinary people' [like the man shown in the photo], can be incited by manipulative leaders, in concert with a faction of the press that manipulatively supports them, to destroy the very things for which they think they're fighting.
Some say there are parallels to what's happening in Putin's Russia, but the cultural differences and institutional complexities make such analogies cumbersome at best. One thing is clear, however, and that is that this saying - long attributed to Thomas Jefferson [and now uncertain] - remains true,
"Eternal vigilance is the price of democracy."
Last Week We Did Part I: A Ukrainian Overview
Last week I provided a look at some of the topline stats someone who wanted to know what was going on might ask. We researched the size of the two nations in terms of population, economies, industries and technology. Ukraine came in well ahead of what I had thought, while Russia came in behind what I had expected to find.
Then I started in on Ukrainian history and culture vis a vis Russia, but found it to lengthy and complex to discuss without further research, so again I gave a very brief topline report noting that Ukraine's borders have been in flux over the past century and beyond.
Then I provided another brief look into Ukrainian and Russian politics since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1991. This was followed by describing how the Biden Administration is balancing deterrence while trying to minimize escalation in the face of the military aggression brought on by the new Madman of Europe, and minimize the collateral economic impact on Americans' daily life.
Lastly, I took a look at an Australian born Madman's, American-based mass media outlets' coverage, of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The billionaire's name is Rupert Murdoch, and his organizations' daily distorted coverage of people, places and events is - as a whole - appears to be manipulative propaganda. His propaganda techniques are not unlike - but far more sophisticated than - the propaganda Putin is spreading in Russia.
Unfortunately, Murdoch and Putin appear to be in goal alignment, which appears biased toward kleptocracy and fascism. The difference is that from within our borders Murdoch's Fox News, Wall St Journal and NY Post appear hellbent in undermining Biden [and thus our nation at a critical time for Western Democracy] through their distorted 'news' reporting, while pretending not to do so. While Putin's propaganda machine is located outside of our borders, is state run, and thus answers only to Putin.
The graphics at right illustrate the point, where Murdoch's Fox News uses Biden's worst poll numbers over the past month, in lieu of using the most recent poll numbers. The Murdoch goal appears to use their 'distorted' [and predominantly if not totally negative] news accounts to undermine Biden during the Ukranian crisis, in order to pave the way for the Murdoch chosen candidate for president in 2024, which at present appears to be Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who honored Murdoch by providing $570 million of the taxpayers money to Disney in a tax break.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the Russian Ukrainian War - Geography, Russian Naval Movement, Black Sea, Cossacks in WWII, Putin's Palace, Putin's Corruption, Fascist Forces in America Supporting Putin on Fox News, Income in Democracies vs the Russian Dictatorship.
New Yorkers, including Russians, Show Support for Ukrainian Freedom
On Sunday, in Multiple Public Spaces in NYC, I Found Rallies for Ukrainian Independence
March 1, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / / Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
In the photo at right, you can see protesters in Washington Square in the Village, voicing their opinions about Vladimir Putin's unprovoked aggression and invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The woman at the center of the photo asks,
"Why should you care?" and then she answers her question writing, "Putin Invasion = War on Democracy".
Russia & Ukraine - Putting the Conflict in Context - Date Rape
We're going to start a look into Putin's War on Ukraine. In doing so, we're going to report on it by providing a contextual framework to help you see things in a holistic manner, which is something the corporate run daily national news organizations seem to fail to do these days - while favoring sensationalistic, ratings-chasing, gossip-like, news reporting.
The gist of this story is that Ukraine is like a pretty woman who turned down Vladimir Putin's advances, so he decided to rape her.
The Basics - Ukraine's Population, Economy & Technology - Far Bigger & More Developed than I had Thought
Russia has a population of about 144 million as of 2020, while the Ukraine has a population of 44 million. This surprised me, perhaps in part because Russia has played such a visible role on the international stage, while the Ukraine has not.
Russia is also a much larger nation than Ukraine economically, as Russia has the sixth largest economy in the world measured in PPP, which is defined as 'purchasing power parity'. Ukraine, by contrast was the 40th largest economy in the world measured in PPP, and is the 44th [of 45] largest economy in Europe as measured nominally which includes the distortions made by currency exchange rates. Thus, when measured on comparable purchasing power [PPP], the Russian economy is only three times larger than Ukraine's, but because of currency trading, Russia does rates better on the global markets. The PPP numbers are measured based on a basket of currencies - not just the dollar - and thus PPP more effectively filters out currency exchange rate distortions.
The economies of Russia and the Ukraine also differ in terms of what they produce. The Russian economy is the second largest producer of oil and energy, including natural gas. Energy is Russia's largest single export and accounts for a significant portion of their government revenue. Russia is also rich in raw materials, commodities and minerals, which are used in its manufacturing sector. But the bulk of the Russian economy has been modernized and nearly two thirds of its economy is comprised of services.
The Ukraine has a large agricultural sector, as well as metals and coal sectors, which - as in Russia - facilitate manufacturing, and the Ukraine has the second largest natural gas reserves in Europe [but they still are a net importer of energy]. I couldn't find out what percent of the economy of the Ukraine was in services, but they have the fourth highest number of IT professionals in the world, and by 2015 over half of the nation had internet access [and in Kyiv it was 90%]. And their manufacturing base includes shipbuilding, aerospace and automotive.
So, to my suprise, the Ukraine is far bigger and is a far more technologically advanced than I had thought. And this helps explain why the little dictator, Vladimir Putin, is having trouble subjugating them.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the Russian Invasion of the Ukraine - Background, Populations, Economies, Technology, & Additional Context.
Weekend Things To Do NYC - February 2022This section contains our Weekend Things To Do reports for the month of February 2022.
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NYC News Updates, Chinese New Year & Micaiah Carter @ SN37
MTA Ridership & Crime, NYC Vaccination Rates & Some NYS Mask Mandates End & is Biden Doing the Right Thing in Ukraine?
February 22, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.
This report is a catch up on some of the key local news items over the past couple of weeks.
MTA Ridership Slowly Inching Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels / Hochul Announces Fare Capping Program / MTA Crime not as Huge as the Corporate Broadcast Media Sensationalizes it
In the photo at right are a number of Chinese American women, who participated in the Chinese New Year Parade celebrating the year of the Tiger in Chinatown in Manhattan, were out to see and be seen last Sunday.
We've been tracking MTA ridership since the pandemic began. The subway ridership plummeted down 90% when the pandemic broke in the Spring of 2020. By the fall of 2020 MTA ridership had risen to a loss of 80%, rising to a loss of 50% - 66% in the Spring of 2021, and then a loss of 35% - 55% in the Fall of 2021. As of this week, the MTA subway ridership losses were in the range of 28% - 43% versus pre-pandemic.
On February 7, 2022, NYS Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new 'Fare Capping Program' whereby passengers would only have to pay for 12 full fare rides in a week [but using the same device / MetroCard] and after which the rides for the rest of the week would be free [Monday - Sunday]. The program begins Monday, February 28th and is expected to run for four months.
The corporate broadcast media seems to sensationalize everything these days in order to ratchet up their ratings, revenue and profit. MTA Ridership during the winter a year ago was about half the pre-pandemic level, and today it's about two thirds the pre-pandemic level meaning it has risen about 50% vs a year ago. According to NYPD Compustat, crime in the subway during the past 28 days is up 33%, so crime isn't rising as fast as ridership.
Nonetheless, crime in the subways is up by about the same percentage versus the pre-pandemic levels, so it's a bigger problem than it was before the pandemic started. It is believed, that the reason for the higher transit crime rate, is that as fewer people rode the rails during the pandemic, the homeless moved in and were able to use the subway as their shelter.
Late last week NYC Mayor Eric Adams and NYS Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the city and the state would collaborate to increase the NYPD presence in the subways to remove and / or assist the homeless from making the MTA their home by offering them an option to leave or an option to get medical, psychiatric and social services help. To that end it was noted that the NYPD upped the deployment of NYPD [about 1,000 officers] into the transit system, focusing - it seems - on the major hubs, and the Governor was working on multi-billion healthcare plans which would include provisions for helping the mentally ill and homeless.
NYC & NYS Vaccination Rates Well Ahead of National Rates
The current NYC vaccination rate is 77%, with another 9% having received at least one dose [86%]. The current NYS vaccination rate is 75%, with another 12% having received at least one dose [87%]. The current U.S. vaccination rate is 65%, with another 12% having received at least one dose [77%].
As a result of the vaccination rates, and with the passing of the Omicron super spreader holiday season, CoVid Omicron new case growth, hospitalizations and deaths have been declining at the NYC, NYS and USA levels.
- For New York City the weekly, daily average, test rate of 1.7% for new cases, with only a weekly, daily average new case rate of 707 reported, a weekly, daily average rate of 35 hospitalizations and a weekly, daily average rate of 17 deaths.
- For New York State the same weekly, daily average rates are 2% positive new test cases, about 1,750 daily new cases, about 200 daily new hospitalizations and about 35 daily new deaths.
For the United States the same rates are 8% positive new cases [this is a week old number compared to the others herein], about 84,878 new cases, about 8,642 hospitalizations [this is a week old number compared to the others herein] and 1,964 daily deaths.
- NYC and NYS are leading the rest of the U.S. in pulling out of the pandemic, as the southern and central states are lagging behind. If you look at a map showing vaccination rates versus a map showing infection rates, you can see that they are inversely related.
- Are these maps indicative of the intelligence, or how well informed the people of each state are? Do the smart people live in the states with the higher vaccination rates, or are the people who got infected with CoVid at higher rates [because they didn't get vaccinated], living in states where they have fewer or less reliable information sources, like Fox News? Studies have shown that Fox News enhances people's ignorance of the facts. Look it up.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report about MTA Ridership in NYC, Vaccination Rates & Masking in NYC & NYS and Vladimir Putin's Invasion of the Ukraine.
Things To Do Presidents Day Weekend in All 5 Boros of NYC
February 15, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.
This weekend is Presidents Day Weekend. For many, not all, it's a three day weekend. This means the Post Office and most federal, state and oftentimes municipal offices are also closed.
Presidents Day Weekend Weather as of this post 2/15/22. The Temperature highs will be in the high 50's on Friday and Monday, dipping into the 40's on Saturday and Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the mid 20's on Friday and Saturday, rising to the mid 30's and 40's on Sunday and Monday. Precipitation - There isn't any rain forecast for the Presidents Day Weekend, but at present there's an inch of rain forecast Thursday night starting around 9 pm. Winds- on Friday winds will pick up from 10 mph to 20 mph. On Saturday winds will peak at 20 mph and then fall back into the 5 - 10 mph range for the rest of the Presidents Day Weekend. The Humidity will range between 40% - 50% on Friday and Saturday, rising to 40% - 60% on Sunday, and 60% - 70% on Monday. Click for NYC Weather.
Brief History of Presidents Day Holiday in NYC
A day commemorating Lincoln's birthday was first passed in Buffalo, New York in the early 1870's. Presidents Day originated as Washington's Birthday which was a holiday narrowly prescribed for federal government offices in Washington, D.C. in 1879. The holiday was dedicated to honoring the memory of the first American president, George Washington who was born on February 22, 1732.
In 1885 the holiday was expanded to include all federal government offices around the nation. In 1951 there was a push to create a Presidents Day holiday [vs a George Washington's birthday holiday] to include President Lincoln whose birthday is February 12, 1809 and was also celebrated by localities, but it didn't pass.
In 1971 the holiday was moved off of George Washington's birth date to being the third Monday in February. Thus while it never falls upon Washington's birthday 2/22, the official name of the holiday remains Washington's Birthday. But today, most folks refer to it as Presidents Day and to recognize the presidents who honored the U.S. Constitution and served the interests of the people.
- Bronx Things To Do on Presidents Day Weekend BX
- Brooklyn Things To Do on Presidents Day Weekend BK
- Manhattan Things To Do on Presidents Day Weekend MHTN
- Queens Things To Do on Presidents Day Weekend QNS
- Staten Island Things To Do on Presidents Day Weekend SI
More coming Friday.
Enjoy.
Honoring the Sacrifice Made by NYPD Officers Mora & Rivera
Mora & Rivera were Policemen, Civilians, Minorities, Immigrant and son of, Husband, Sons, Brothers and Real Heroes
What Can We do to Make Sure they didn't die in Vain?
February 7, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Manhattan Buzz NYC.
On Wednesday morning I made my way into Manhattan to observe the funeral of slain NYPD Officer Mora. To be sure, it was a solemn occasion. I got off the subway near 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. Once above ground, I made my way to Fifth Avenue and 42nd where I came across the largest gathering of police officers I have ever seen in my life [see photo at right].
As I walked up Fifth Avenue, I could hear the eulogies over the loud speakers, echoing in the street. I took a few photos and some video of the gathering which spanned all the way up to 50th Street by St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Eventually I had to detour off of Fifth Avenue, make my way down to Sixth Avenue, and then cut back in at 50th Street to get close to the cathedral on Fifth Avenue.
A Communal Gathering of Policemen from the TriState Area and Beyond, at Officer Mora's Funeral at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022
As I walked and listened I looked around at all of the policemen gathered in honor of a fellow member of the fraternal order of policemen – not just of New York City but of NYS - and for that matter - the U.S. All of the police men and women were standing, some standing silently listening to the speeches, while others made small talk with each other, between the speeches, about their kids, their families, their jobs, their departments [homicide / detectives / street patrolmen], cars and boats, as well as chatting about which police department or organization they represented.
It reminded me of other funerals I had attended, which it’s been said, are for the living – not the dead. Yes, we come to honor the dead, but they have since gone. And it is left to us who are left behind, to make sense of things. It is our job to figure out how to take the lessons their lives and make them work for us, so that they will not have died in vain.
The expansiveness of the showing of support was somewhere between impressive and overwhelming, as I walked silently through this sea of dark blue, which filled over 8 city blocks on a wide avenue - and which spilled well into the cross streets both east and west of the entire eight blocks. There were thousands of police, mostly men with some women, mostly white but also many minorities, who had come to pay their last respects for a member of their ranks who had made the ultimate sacrifice. A sacrifice that all of them know they must be ready to make each day as they don their dark coats to serve and protect the community. Us.
I noticed the badges sewn to their coats, representing Trenton and Teaneck New Jersey, Suffolk and Nassau Counties, New York State, and of course the NYPD, as well as a smattering of policemen from more distant communities. They projected a sense of sadness and courtesy, as I made my way through the crowd. I sensed that they must also have felt some measure of comfort, standing there, side by side with others like themselves, knowing that they are supported by so many others who share their sense of duty, ready to face down danger.
This seemed a bit like a George Floyd like moment for the police in the city and perhaps the nation. These two young officers, were senselessly murdered, while responding to a domestic violence call within a few blocks of the 32nd precinct Harlem police station where the two police officers worked. Shortly after the policemen entered the apartment, the assailant shot them down with a barrage of bullets from a semi-automatic gun which the assailant had stolen in Maryland.
As I came upon St Patrick’s Cathedral, surrounded by the police, it seemed like a fortress with its big, thick church doors closed, to keep out the noise and cold air while the mass continued inside. A coterie of media people were on a platform across the street from the front of the cathedral, waiting for the doors to open. The Mayor, Police Commissioner Sewell and Wilbur Mora’s brother and sister gave speeches. Karina, Mora's sister, gave her speech in Spanish, as the Moras immigrated here from the Dominican Republic decades ago.
- CLICK here for the rest of our report about the Tribute Paid to Slain Officers Mora & Rivera of Harlem Precinct.
Some will Exploit & Distort Crime Stats & Events to Manipulatively Divide Us
They will Seek to Profit from our Divisions, Instead of Helping us to Find Common Ground in an Effort to Fix Things
February 7, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The graphic at right is a Vox headline that asks why the diverging trends in crime vs violent crime.
Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch controls about half of our daily national corporate news media, including Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St Journal and - along with two other Fox News investment funds - controls the largest share of ABC News stock.
For decades now, in English-speaking nations around the world, the propagandists posing as journalists who work for Murdoch, appear to distort the news so that Murdoch's favored politicans will get elected. Once elected, those pols seem to grant Murdoch huge tax breaks, regulatory changes and legislative favors in exchange for his propagandistic support of their candidacies.
The cost to us, the American people [the British and Australians as well] is that many critical issues are never properly addressed by the government officials selected by Murdoch, because his favored pols are generally chosen and supported based on what they will do for the totally self-serving billionaire - not the public. Hence Murdoch pols don't appear to reflect the people's will, but rather are chosen because Murdoch mass media outlets have manipulated the views of enough voters via their distorted daily Murdoch mass media 'news' intake, to enable Murdoch's favored pols to get elected. Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels employed these same kind of tactics, on an unsuspecting public, back in the early 1930's, in Germany.
At right is a graphic showing one of Murdoch's mini-Goebbels, pushing a false narrative that is designed to enrich himself and his billionaire boss by demonizing Democrats. The goal seems to use these issues promote false narratives that favor their pliant pols into powerful positions in government so that they can change policies to pump up the billionaire's propaganda profits. One such example is that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gave ABC / Disney a half billion dollar tax break last summer and thereafter he appeared to have an open mic on Fox News with propagandists like the Tucker shown above.
To Rein in Guns & Violent Crime, We Must First Rein in Murdoch's Fox, WSJ, NY Post & Increasingly ABC News Distortions & Disinformation on the Subject
Reining in the guns used in violent crime in NYC, is one of many such issues that seem to be given Murdoch's special brand of propagandistic 'news' treatment. Murdoch's news outlets' reports appear to pander to gun owners and the NRA [5.5 million members], who are outspoken and generally against gun control. According to a November 13, 2020 report by Gallup, about 32% of Americans own a gun and about 44% live in a household where there is a gun owner. Hence, gun owners represent a fairly sizeable block of Murdoch's mass media audience, and his news reports pander to them, just as the pander to other voting blocks that Murdoch media seek to manipulate.
At right is a map showing which states have the highest homicide rates. Note that the states with the highest homicide mortality rates are governed by the Republicans - the ones who claim they stand for law and order. But what many of the Republicans in these states really seem to stand for, are the special interest groups like the gun-promoting NRA. Urban police forces, which are generally found in Democratically governed cities, are finding that the guns used in the murders in their cities, are coming from the Republican states. Republican governed states have the nation's highest murder rates [see graph above] and most lax guns laws. I don't think it is helpful to policize this issue by demonizing the other side, but given Rupert Murdoch's grip on our national discourse through his ownership, control and influence over half of our daily national corporate media, somebody has got to push back with the truth.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report about how Australian born Oligarch Rupert Murdoch, uses his mass media to manipulate the views of his audiences in order to make more money for himself at the expense of the community.
Valentines Day Restaurants in NYC 2022
Dining Out on Valentine's Day 2022 in the 5 Boros of NYC
February 1, 2022 / NYC Restaurants / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Two weeks from this past Monday is Valentine's Day in NYC. We have nearly completed a round up of a number of restaurants by borough that will be open, offering indoor and / or outdoor dining on that day.
One thing worth noting is that with outdoor seating, lower levels of tourism in the city - and depending on your loved one's stickling for exactness / detail - it's possibly fair game to celebrate the occasion on any weekend night, which should ensure you luck in booking a reservation.
The flip side of that coin is that many restaurants have gone under since the pandemic began and there just may be sufficient cabin fever to make this a gangbuster dining holiday.
So, here are links to Valentine's Day dining in all five of NYC boroughs by boro. And remember NYC CoVid protocols remain in effect which require proof of vaccination for those eligible including kids and the wearing of masks except when you're eating and drinking. And outdoor dining is also an option, as this has been an unusually warm winter.
- Bronx Valentines Day restaurants
- Brooklyn Valentines Day restaurants
- Manhattan Valentines Day restaurants
- Queens Valentine Day restaurants
- Staten Island Valentines Day restaurants
Enjoy.
WEEKEND THINGS TO DO NYC - January 2022This section contains our Weekend Things To Do reports for the month of January 2022.
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Do TV Newspeople Tend to Hype Weather to Keep Viewers Inside Watching TV?
Why Would They do that? Maybe because it Generates Higher Ratings, which Increases Revenue & Profits
January 28, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The TV newspeople appear to hype weather systems, to keep viewers inside all weekend, so they'll watch TV, and boost the corporate TV ratings to generate more revenue.
You can see an example of this in the graphic at right which shows a June 13, 2019 Washington Post report where a weatherman was fired by Sinclair Broadcasting, at a Murdoch ABC News station affiliate, because the weatherman wasn't going to use 'Code Red' to hype inclement weather systems, if he didn't think they merited such labeling.
This weekend the weather system coming in this evening is expected to end by about 3 pm Saturday, so while there may be an unknown number of inches of snow on the ground in NYC in January [what a concept], it shouldn't prevent New Yorkers from enjoying at least part of the weekend. But that said, be advised that while the snow should end by 3 pm, the winds die down more slowly, lasting the remainder of Saturday. And these comments apply to activities within NYC [not Long Island nor New Jersey] as public transit may be used in lieu of an auto, and as of this report, the MTA has no plans of shutting down.
The weatherman mentioned in the graphic above, was fired for not distorting the truth, in a manner not unlike what one would expect at a state-controlled media outlet in Russia or China. Hyping weather systems out of proportion, like distorting the proportions of other stories, appears to be one of the Murdoch mass media trademark ploys to deceive / fear monger the viewers in order to win higher rating$$$, take control the national conversation and tip the scales in favor of the pols he favors and against those he does not.
Rupert Murdoch is an Australian born billionaire press lord who controls about half of America's daily national news media including Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St. Journal and increasingly ABC News where he and two funds control about a quarter of that company's shares.
While Weather Sensationalism is Dishonest Truth Distortion, it's Relatively Harmless vis a vis Most Other News Distortions which can be Dangerous to Democracy
In Australia - where Murdoch has been operating all his life - former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described, "Murdoch's media empire as a cancer on democracy" because of Murdoch media news omissions and distortions.
And in Britain, a Spring 2012 Parliamentary Report stated that, [Murdoch] "was not a fit person" to exercise stewardship of a major international company] because his company broke the law by tapping British citizens' private phones to get racy stories and the details of their personal tragedies in order to generate higher ratings and sell more newspapers. Murdoch denied he knew anything, blamed his underlings and then reportedly Murdoch's [Fox] Newscorp spent $1.6 BILLION in legal fees and payouts - TO DEFEND THEIR INNOCENCE?
In the graphic at right is a July 28, 2011 Guardian report stating that people working for Murdoch's company were believed to have hacked the phone of Sara Payne to publish her anguish over her daughter's murder at the hands of a pedophile. Murdoch reportedly spent $1.6 billion in settlements and legal fees to extricate the company and its officers from the corruption and scandal. But money can't buy Murdoch out of what Newscorp's actions say about his and his companies' moral compass.
- CLICK here to read more about how the Pied Piper of Propaganda, Rupert Murdoch, uses his media outlets to hype the weather,distort the news and lead us into a post truth[ is] pre-fascist world.
Was the Staten Island Ferry Sale a Joke?
Did You Hear the One about a Staten Island Ferry, Two Comedians, an Architect & a Night Club Owner?
Updated January 26 from 1/24/2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC News / Staten Buzz NYC.
Weather. The temperature highs will be within about 5 degrees of 30 throughout the week, except on Tuesday when it will be in the low 40's. The temperature lows will be between 20 and 30 degrees, except on Wednesday, when it will drop to 12 degrees. The winds will be 5 - 10 mph Monday & Tuesday, rising to 10 - 15 mph on Wednesday, before falling back to 5 - 10 mph Thursday & Friday. Humidity will be 50% - 70% on Monday, dropping to 50% - 60% on Tuesday, and then 40% - 50% on Wednesday & Thursday, before rising back to 50% - 70% on Friday. No precipitation is in the forecast until Friday afternoon / evening at which time it looks like we're going to get several or more inches of snow.
As the new year begins to unfold, we encounter a mixed bag of news that has already made it out onto the public stage. Let's start with the purchase of a de-commissioned Staten Island Ferry, the JFK. The photo above right was taken in January 2020, likely near the end of the JFK's life of ferrying passengers to and from Staten Island. You can see the 'JFK' in the upper right corner of the photo below the black circle and with a bit of glare obfuscating part of the 'F'.
They may be Laughing Now, but ...
SNL Comedians Pete Davidson & Colin Jost, Architect Developer & Contractor Ron Castellano and Night Club Owner Paul Italia Buy the JFK Staten Island Ferry Boat
Last week, after several rounds of bidding, a consortium of investors, including SNL Comedians Pete Davidson & Colin Jost; Architect, Developer & Contractor Ron Castellano; and Night Club Owner Paul Italia purchased a 2,100 ton de-commissioned Staten Island ferry boat - the JFK - for $280,100. The purchase prices was only $100 above the next nearest bid, after the price doubled during the bidding process - up from $125,000 - after the starting bid had to be lowered from $250,000 because of a lack of early interest.
At right are Pete Davidson [left] and Colin Jost [right] announcing their new acquisition on SNL's News update. This project is likely to get a fair amount of publicity given the fame of these two owners and Jost's famous wife and Davidson's famous girlfriend.
- CLICK here for the rest of our report on the Sale of the Staten Island Ferry to Colin Jost & Pete Davidson - including a brief history of prior Staten Island Ferry Sales.
News Updates - De Blasio Announcement & NYC Crime Stats 2021
De Blasio Decides Not to Run for NYS Governor, Hochul's Fundraising Haul, NYC Violent Crime Up Slightly in 2021, but NYC Homicides Still Below the National Average & To Be or Not To Be - do we want to Politicize the Guns / Violent Crime Problem or Solve it?
January 18, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
This morning, January 18, 2022, former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that he will not seek the Governor's office on Twitter.
De Blasio mentioned some of his accomplishments during his eight years as Mayor including Universal Pre-K, building hundreds of thousands affordable housing units, implementing some police reforms at the NYPD to make policing fairer, and efforts to transition NYC to cleaner energy. He didn't say what his future plans were, only that he would be announcing them from his neighborhood in Brooklyn.
Governor Kathy Hochul is well positioned for the NYS Governors race this year. Hochul received the very early endorsement of the NYS Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs in October of 2021, and has raised $21.6 million since she announced her candidacy in August of 2021. It's a record for the five month period, and about the same amount of money that former Governor Andrew Cuomo had to ward off challengers in 2018. NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and 3rd District [Nassau County] Congressman Thomas Suozzi have announced their candidacies. In December of 2021, Attorney General Letitia James withdrew her candidacy, in favor of running for reelection in her current post.
On the Republican side of the race there's former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, who is running against newcomer Andrew Giuliani, who's primary claim to fame is that he is the son of Rudy, the former NYC Mayor with the same surname and Lee Zeldin, a Congressman from Long Island.
In fundraising as well as in polling, Hochul seems to have all the advantages at this point in the campaign. Her nearest competitor in polling recently done by Siena would have been de Blasio, who had 12% of the vote versus Hochul's 46%. NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams was next with 11% and Suozzi with 6%. The Suozzi campaign has about $5 million in campaign funding, $2 million of which was transferred from his congressional campaign. Republican Astorino has about $1.3 million, and none of the other contestants released their funding.
A number of snide comments were made in the wake of Hochul's record haul and competitive fundraising position for the upcoming June primary. She was compared to Cuomo with allusions to the possibility of corruption, but nothing specific was provided to support those insinuations.
De Blasio's announcement came as I was working on an update report on NYC crime. Unfortunately, the NYPD doesn't publish a December monthly report, like they do every other month, so it's more challenging to do a year end tally. Hence, this report won't be as comprehensive as some of the others I've done the past couple of years, and will instead focus mostly on shootings and the murder rate.
NYC Crime Statistics for 2021
Thefts Down Significantly / Murders Up Slightly & Still Below the National Average / Most Other Crimes up in Low to Mid Single Digits with Some Exceptions ...
The outlier in the year end crime stats, which were up slightly from 2020, was that thefts were down almost 19%. This may have something to do with the fact that fewer people are out and about, so thieves have fewer to prey upon and the victims have fewer distractions and events where thefts may occur.
As for other salient changes in the main categories, Grand Larceny was up about 12% while Grand Larceny Auto was up 14%, Other (than rape) Sex Crimes were up 30%, Misdemeanour Assault was up 10%, and Hate Crimes were up 93%. It's worth noting that only murders and hate crimes are counted in the hundreds - not thousands.
The murders in NYC were up slightly in 2021 versus 2020. Note that the graph at right is for the entire nation and in 2020 - not 2021. The purpose is so that you can have context in evaluating where we are and what's going on.
In 2021 the preliminary murder rate in the U.S. was about 6.6 per 100,000 people [21,750 / 330M], while the murder rate in NYC was 5.5 per 100,000 people [485 / 8.8M]. Prior to the pandemic, in 2018, the murder rate in the U.S. was 4.96 per 100,000 people [WorldPopulationReview.com], and the murder rate in NYC was 289 victims [8.4M population] or 3.4 per 100,000 people, which was the lowest on record. In 2012, during former Mayor Bloomberg's last year as NYC Mayor, the murder rate had fallen to 414 [8.2M] or about 5.0 per 100,000 people.
So with our larger population [8.8M vs 8.2M], NYC experienced a bit higher murder rate in former Mayor de Blasio's last year in office, versus former Mayor Bloomberg's last year in office. And for de Blasio this was in the midst of the pandemic amid record gun sales.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report on NYC Crime Statistics NYPD for 2021, and how Murdoch mass media distorts the truth to divide the nation by selectively picking crime statistics and overlaying a label-ridden, self-enriching, propaganda narrative.
Martin Luther King Day Weekend Events / Things To Do in NYC
Things To Do in NYC over the MLK Day Weekend
January 10, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The Martin Luther King Day Weekend is ony a few days away. Although significantly changed from last year, the CoVid Omicron variant is still wreaking some havoc, so you're advised to not only rsvp, but also check event websites prior to departing for the event.
Weather. The MLK Weekend forecast as of January 10, 2022. The Temperature highs will range from 20 to 30 degrees through the long weekend. The temperature lows will range from 10 to 25, rising as the weekend progresses. As of this post, no precipitation is expected over the MLK Day Weekend. Winds will be about 10 mph throughout the long weekend, except Friday when they'll be a bit higher [13 mph]. The Humidity will be between 30% - 60%, dipping on Saturday from the highs on Friday and Monday.
Click for an update on NYC Weather.
Brief History of Martin Luther King Holiday in NYC
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist Minister who became the leading voice for African Americans' non-violent civil rights movement beginning in the mid 1950's through to his assassination in 1968. In 1983, the third Monday of every year was set aside to honor Martin Luther King for his service to the nation. The third Monday was chosen, as it was the nearest Monday to the anniversary of King's birthday, which was January 15, 1929.
Martin Luther King Day has grown to take on an even larger meaning, as it is oftentimes referred to as a day on, versus a day off. Organizations around the city and nation have used the day to call people into action to address the needs of the community through volunteering and service.
As Martin Luther King Day is a national holiday, it's worth keeping in mind that many / most federal offices will be closed, along with a number of businesses.
The following links will take you to MLK Day of Service and civil rights related events happening over the MLK Weekend in each NYC borough.
Click here for Things to do Martin Luther King Day Weekend in the Bronx.
Click here for Things to do Martin Luther King Day Weekend in Brooklyn.
Click here for Things to do Martin Luther King Day Weekend in Manhattan.
Click here for Things to do Martin Luther King Day Weekend in Queens.
Click here for Things to do Martin Luther King Day Weekend on Staten Island.
We'll also have an update with additional events this Friday. Enjoy.
The Great Supply Chain Crisis 2021: Hype vs Reality
TV & Murdoch News Sensationalized the Great Supply Chain Crisis of 2021 - Telling us for Months on End No Pumpkins for Halloween, No Turkeys for Thanksgiving, No Trees for Christmas & No Cream Cheese in NYC
But How Much of that Hyping was a Murdoch Inspired Perspective in Pursuit of Political Profit & Fear Mongering Ratings at the Expense of Reporting What's Really Happening?
January 3, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The closer I pay attention to what's happening in our mass media, the more concerned I get. Nearly half of our daily nationally branded news media is controlled by one man, Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch - who strikes me as either a sociopath or psychopath. Based on the seven years I've been covering Murdoch, it appears as if he doesn't care about anything other than enriching and empowering himself, even at 90 years of age [his mother lived to 103 so he's likely going to be with us for a while].
What Those Who Know Murdoch Say About Him
In Australia - where Murdoch has been operating all his life - former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described,
"Murdoch's media empire as a cancer on democracy".
And in Britain, a Parliamentary Report stated that,
[Murdoch] "was not a fit person" to exercise stewardship of a major international company].
Keith Rupert Murdoch, controls the Wall St. Journal, Fox News, the NY Post, Harper Collins Publishing, MarketWatch, Barrons - and along with two of Fox News largest shareholders - Murdoch appears to have a controlling interest in Disney / ABC by virtue of what seems his proximity to their relatively new CEO. Murdoch's influence appears to be manifesting itself in personnel moves being made since he became one of their largest shareholders in March of 2019. The personnel moves are in their news and related programming areas, and ultimately impact what ABC News presents to the public. I just witnessed one of many subtle changes on Sunday, while watching This Week with George Stephanopolous. I'll say more about this at the end of this report.
Fox News Lyin' Laura Ingraham, earned that moniker, as you can see in the image above. Fox News has repeatedly used misleading photos and images to lend deceptive and misleading support to their news accounts, which appear designed to influence the unaware and low information voters, in order to get them to vote for billionaire Murdoch's favored pols and against the very government officials who are trying to help the manipulated victims.
- CLICK here for the rest of the story about mass media's ratings-driven hype, and media manufactured distortions about the global supply chain disruptions.
New Years Resolutions 2022: The Road Ahead
A Few Axioms To Keep In Mind Throughout The New Year
January 1, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / Gotham Buzz NYC.
For all of us, today starts the beginning of a new year.
If we stay the course with vaccinations, masks, social distancing and hand washing, we should be able to make the transition from pandemic to endemic - at which point things begin to really change to a better normal, but likely not back to a pre-CoVid normal.
A year ago I thought by now we would have mostly normalized, but I had failed to take into consideration the significant resistance to vaccinations by the people who rely upon Rupert Murdoch's overwhelming share of nationally branded daily mass media 'news'.
Rupert Murdoch controls Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St Journal and he, along with the two largest investment groups owning Fox, control Disney / ABC News. So that's half of U.S. network news and two the largest daily newspapers in the nation. He controls other media outlets as well, like MarketWatch and Barron's and Harper Collins Publishing, but the first four mentioned above are instrumental in shaping Americans' view of things. And the unsuspecting members of Murdoch's audience aren't aware enough, nor paying attention enough, nor educated enough to detect the very sophisticated news manipulations that Murdoch and his minions seem to do every day to sculpt and present the reality they want their viewers to see - which is not reality at all, but a VoldeMurdoch version of it.
Other media outlets and moderate Republicans and pretty much all Democrats need to start calling Murdoch out into the public space so people can see who he is and what he does and what he takes in exchange for it. They need to do it, because regardless of whether they do or not, Murdoch's incessant media attacks will keep coming, so by not addressing him and it, they are only aiding and abetting it, like all those who let Goebbels do the same in Germany in the 1920's, 1930's and 1940's.
The rest of this report is about some of the things you can do personally - not politically - to make 2022 a better year for you.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report on New Years Resolutions 2022 - The Road Ahead.
Omicron, CoVid, Omicron, CoVid ... STOP
NYC News Update With as little CoVid Omicron Specific Info as Possible
This Report includes the Over Hyped 'Supply Chain Xmas Tree Shortage', Broadway Show Cancellations & Postponements & Economic Impact, MTA Subway Trains & Airline Flights Cancellations due to Staffing Outages, the Tug of War between Office Workers & their Companies, JFK getting New Terminals & Staten Island getting New Ferries
December 27, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Weather. Temperature highs are between 40 and 50 degrees each day, and the lows are about 40 each day. Humidity will be between 60% - 80% all week. And the wind will be fairly steady at 5 - 10 mph daily. There's a chance of showers around 8 pm tonight and a chance of a tenth inch of rain on each day - Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Given the low amount of precipitation and that it's spread out over the entire day, each day, I'd say your chances of getting very wet are pretty slim.
CoVid, CoVid, CoVid ... How We Moved Beyond it as a Conversation Centerpiece at an Xmas Party
So I attended a Christmas party a couple of weekends ago, and at one point someone asked is there anything else to talk about besides CoVid? This was near the end of the party, so there were only about a dozen of us there. So, someone asked, how about those Nets? And of course, Kylie Irving soon came up, and his anti-vax stance on CoVid, and that the Nets had to postpone a number of games because of ... CoVid.
Someone else asked, whose traveling for the holidays? As you can imagine, it wasn't long before CoVid came up and how it was going to affect everyones' holiday travel plans. Another asked, whether people were going to see their kids over the holidays. And of course, the discussion about vaccinations, testing and masks ensued. And then someone asked about gifts being given this season, and eventually the impact of CoVid on shipping and supply chain ensued. How about going out to dinner ... and so forth.
Actually, it turned out to be kind of funny, in an ironic sort of way, as the pandemic was still touching most parts of people's lives.
But the good news is that we eventually did move on past CoVid. Onto what? Well that's personal and thus not going to be shared here publicly, but we did eventually make it past the CoVid goal line ... but it wasn't as easy as one would think it should have been.
So the rest of this report is going to be about other things affecting our life, but recognizing that the pandemic and our community health affects just about everything else.
How Real was the TV News Hyped Supply Chain & Xmas Tree Shortage?
Retail Sales Hit a Level Not seen in 17 Years in Spite of "No Supply"?
How is it that network TV news, still a primary source of information in this nation - and the only source by many of the uneducated - can get a story so wrong?
For months they've been hyping the SUPPLY CHAIN SHORTAGE, SUPPLY CHAIN SHORTAGE, SUPPLY CHAIN SHORTAGE. I've seen little on TV news saying anything else to the contrary, and yet somehow, retailers magically had the best holiday sales season in 17 years, with department store sales up 21% [that's huge] and online sales up 8% [also very solid performance].
Did retailers MAGICALLY turn in their best performance in 17 years without any inventory? Come on.
People need to start questioning the information they get on TV, because too often, it's so distorted in order to generate an emotional or fearful response that's good for ratings and profit - but not in the public interest.
A December 26, 2021 report in Politico provided the following update on retail sales,
"... By category, clothing rose 47%, jewelry 32%, electronics 16%. Online sales were up 11% from a year ago and 61% from 2019. Department stores registered a 21% increase over 2020 ..."
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the NYC economy facing ongoing challenges due to CoVid including cancelled Broadway shows, airline flight cancellations, ongoing subdued mass transit ridership, and ongoing delays of workers returning to the office. But for the nation, holiday retail sales were good.
New Years Eve Parties & Events in NYC 2021 / 2022
It Seems a Mostly Normalized Holiday as of this Writing, but Requiring a few Adjustments
December 15, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Weather Forecast for New Years Eve. It's still a bit early to obtain a reliable weather forecast for New Years Eve, which is over two weeks away. But since that doesn't stop the TV weather people from making forecasts, I won't let it stop me. Using the Wednesday before New Years Eve as a benchmark, it looks like the temperature high will be just below 40 and the temperature low will be just below 30. No rain is forecast, winds will be about 10 mph and humidity will likely be on the lower side.
Here are links to some New Years Eve parties and events planned around the five boroughs. These pages are mostly done and we will finish updating them a bit later in the week.
Bronx New Years Eve Parties and Events 2021 NYC
Brooklyn New Years Eve Parties and Events 2021 NYC
Manhattan New Years Eve Parties and Events 2021 NYC
Queens New Years Eve Parties & Events 2021 NYC
Staten Island New Years Eve Parties and Events NYC
Enjoy.
Omicron Sweeps NYC & the Rest of the U.S.
NYS Hit its Highest Number of New Cases Friday 12.17.21, Omicron Now Dominant Strain in America [73%], Breakthrough Infections & Need for Boosters, Multiple Measures of Vaccine Effectiveness, NYS Governor Hochul Foreshadows Change to Definition of Fully Vaccinated Likely Coming Soon, NYC Mayor de Blasio Offers $100 to those who Boost Before Year End, False Positives Coming from Some Testing Kits, Hospitalizations Trending Toward Younger Age Groups & Kids Getting Infected at Higher Rates
It's Not the Omicron Virus that is Dividing Us. It's the Manipulative Murdoch Mass Media, that Continually Misinforms its Audiences. The Highly Paid Propagandists do This in Order Enrich Themselves & Empower the 90 Year Old Multi-Billionaire by Undermining the Government Officials who Won't Give Rupert what he wants out of the Public Purse & Domain
December 20, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
So the Omicron variant represents the third wave of Corona Virus sweeping the land. First it was the original CoVid 19, then the Delta variant and now Omicron.
The Omicon variant spreads far more easily and hence far faster than the prior two variants, which spread around the globe in a matter of months. Omicron is beating them hands down in terms of spreading, even in nations that have some good measure of vaccinations - but nowhere near the two thirds plus needed for 'herd immunity'. Reportedly, the Omicron is spreading 2x to 4x faster than the Delta variant which reportedly spread faster [by about 50%] than the original strain of CoVid. As of the last week of testing, Omicron represents 73% of all new cases in the U.S.
In the graphic at right you see a headline from FT, which is the Financial Times of London, noting how something that should be common sense has become a political hot potato. At the end of this update on the Omicron variant, we'll take a look at how science and the truth are being distorted by millionaires and billionaire(s) in what appears an attempt to manipulate voters perceptions. The goal is to change the perceptions of their viewers enough, so their viewers will vote for the candidates chosen by the propaganda billionaire and his friends. The end game is, of course, getting the billionaire / propaganda machine selected pols into office, so they can fill their pockets with the taxpayers' money, and obtain legislative changes that are anti-democratic.
Oftentimes reports like that found in the Financial Times fail miserably to call out media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who controls an overwhelming share of the daily national news media in the U.S., Britain and Australia. For my money, Murdoch [not Trump] is the root cause of so many of our current problems by virtue of the disinformation he spreads, which is inserted into many of the news reports that his organizations deliver to well over a hundred million people each day. Murdoch hides behind his media brands, propagandists and favored pols, while the other media and government officials seem either: 1) ignorant of his incredible influence on our daily news, and thus a huge swath of American people's views, or 2) are unwilling to do the right thing and call Murdoch out into the open so the public can get a closer look at who's dominating the national conversation.
The last point made is an important one for the Smartmatic and Dominion Voting Systems lawsuits [more on this below]. My advice to their attorneys, is to hire a great public relations firm to publicize the hell out of each case, making damned sure to include Keith Rupert Murdoch in EVERY news release / update as the slithery Murdoch - like Voldemort in Harry Potter - doesn't like the light of day. And then ride the case to the end, because you're in the right, and what you're fighting for is - in part - the heart and soul of America.
NYS Sees its Highest Number of Daily New CoVid Cases Since Pandemic Began
In NYC New Infections Double in 3 Days & in the U.S. Omicron is now 73% of New Cases
A testament to the Omicron variants transmissibility is that on Friday, December 17, 2021 NYS saw its highest number of new CoVid cases [21,027] in a single day since the pandemic began according to an New York Times report. In NYC the infection rate nearly doubled in just three days, rising from 3.9% to 7.8% from Thursday, December 9 to December 12, 2021 according to a December 16, 2021 NBC report.
I checked the NYC website a couple of weeks ago and found the chart at right, which - to my surprise - showed Whites as the second slowest group to vaccinate. Hispanics were a full ten percentage points ahead of them, and African Americans were only three percentage points behind them. I interpret this as the power of Murdoch's media in NYC as he owns / controls Fox News on WNYW [channel 5], WWOR [channel 9], the NY Post, and the Wall Street Journal.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report Omicron Sweeps NYC & the Rest of the U.S..
2ND HALF DECEMBER WEEKEND THINGS TO DO NYC
This section contains our Weekend Things To Do reports for the second half of the month of December 2021. Click into this link to see second half of December 2021 weekend reports.
- CLICK here to read the December Things To Do reports for all five NYC boroughs and all December weekends, including reports about weekend things to do in NYC in the last half of December, including NYC holiday events, NYC holiday markets, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, holiday light shows begin, choral performances, the Nutcracker performances in NYC borought, and New Years Eve parties are in a separate report.
1st HALF DECEMBER WEEKEND THINGS TO DO NYC
This section contains our Weekend Things To Do reports for the first half of the month of December 2021. Click into this link to see all November 2021 weekend reports.
- CLICK here to read the December Things To Do reports for all five NYC boroughs and all December weekends, including reports about weekend things to do in NYC in December, including NYC holiday events, NYC holiday markets, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, holiday light shows begin, choral performances, the Nutcracker performances in NYC borought, and New Years Eve parties are in a separate report.
CoVid Update – Omicron Variant, Vax Updates, Vax Boosters, Vax Kids & Manipulative NYC Based Disinformation Sources
December 6, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Social Issues Health News / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The first Omicron virus case was first detected on November 8, 2021 in South Africa. The first case detected in the U.S. was in San Francisco on November 22, 2021. Four days later, on November 26, 2021, the World Health Organization [WHO] designated Omicron a CoVid variant [B1.1.529]. As of December 5, 2021 there were eight Omicron cases in NYS, most of which were found in NYC.
Early Precautions in the Face of Omicron’s Rapid Spread
On November 26, 2021, President Biden instituted a temporary travel ban on South Africa and neighboring countries including, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe. He also shortened the CoVid testing time from three to one days, for those traveling internationally. The passenger must test negative for CoVid. And he extended the mask mandate for those using public transit domestically to March 15, 2021.
The reason for taking these early immediate precautions is that the Omicron variant appears to be spreading at twice the rate of the Delta variant, which overwhelmed this nation within about 3 - 4 months [May - August 2021].
The Omicron variant was also detected in Belgium, Hong Kong, Canada, Australia and Israel at the time the news broke regarding the rapid spread of the new variant at the beginning of the Thanksgiving holiday. As of this writing the Omicron variant has been found in 15 states including, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin, according to a Reuters tally on December 5, 2021.
Vaccine Efficacy vis a vis Omicron Variant
The Omicron variant is known to be more transmissible, but it’s health impact is still being studied. Most of those who contracted the Omicron variant had been vaccinated, and hence it is believed that most suffered fairly mild symptoms because they had CoVid antibodies in their systems. By the end of this week [12/10/21] or sometime the following week, early test results on vaccine efficacy vis a vis Omicron are expected.
One health official noted that efficacy isn’t measured as a simple yes or no, but rather in degrees. The strongest efficacy prevents one from catching the virus, the medium measure of efficacy is how troublesome the symptoms - ranging from mild to hospitalization, and the weakest efficacy – meaning no efficacy is death.
CoVid prognosticators believe that the current vaccines will continue to offer some measure of protection / efficacy, but they caution that at some point it may be necessary to create a separate vaccine for new CoVid variants.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our story about the Omicron Variant, Vax Updates, Vax Boosters, Vax Kids & Manipulative NYC Based Disinformation Sources.
*** 5 Boros WS Update
NYC Holiday Events in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx & Staten Island
Christmas Tree Lightings, Hanukkah Menorah Lightings, Kwanzaa Candle Lightings in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx & on Staten Island NYC
December 1, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / Gotham Buzz NYC.
NYC Holiday Events in All Five Boroughs of NYC
This section is intended to provide a compendium of a multitude of mostly free holiday communal events in all five boroughs of NYC. This is not an exhaustive list.
The photo at right was taken in the Dyker Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn, which goes all out for the holidays.
For indoor events the NYC COVID protocols remain in effect. Rsvp is recommended.
Click here for Bronx holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC.
Click here for Brooklyn holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC.
Click here for Manhattan holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC.
Click here for Queens holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC.
Click here for Staten Island holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC.
Enjoy.
NYC Gourmet Shops & Thanksgiving Restaurants in NYC
Shops and Restaurants for Preparing or Eating Thanksgiving Day Dinner in NYC, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island
November 16, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The origins of Thanksgiving Day in the United States began with one of America’s first settlements, founded by the risk-taking, resource-pooling, hardworking, spiritual community of Pilgrims. The Pilgrims were early English settlers who arrived on American shores in the early 17th century [1600’s]. They came here because they wanted a measure of freedom and self-determination that they were forbidden in Europe or what was called the ‘old country’. The Pilgrims wanted to practice their faith, unencumbered, in a way that differed from the established Church of England. They pooled their money to obtain a ship, the Mayflower, to cross the Atlantic in mid September of 1620, landing on America's shores at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts on November 9, 1620.
The Pilgrims Receive Help from the Native People of a Strange Land
Per Wikipedia, the Piligrims survived a hard winter in 1621 with the help of the Wampanoag, an American Indian tribe. The Pilgrims were the immigrants, and the first Americans, the Indian natives, welcomed them. The Wampanaog taught the Pilgrims how to catch eels, and how to grow and harvest corn. Thus the Pilgrims ended 1621 with a good harvest which they celebrated and shared with their new friends, expressing their thanks to a higher power, aka God, for the success of their endeavors.
Thus it was that the first Thanksgiving celebration happened in America. There's some dispute to this account, which we'll address in a future post, near Thanksgiving Day.
Thanksgiving Gourmet Food Stores & Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving Day in NYC
This section is intended to provide a few suggestions for Thanksgiving Day food shopping and a number of restaurants that are open Thanksgiving Day in NYC. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list as there are many other fine NYC shops and restaurants, but for the moment this is what we have to offer.
For shops and restaurants the NYC COVID protocols remain in effect. Rsvp is recommended.
Click here for Thanksgiving Day gourmet specialty food shops, grocery stores and restaurants in Manhattan NYC.
Click here for Thanksgiving Day gourmet food specialty shops, grocery stores, restaurants and communal events in Queens NYC.
Click here for Thanksgiving Day restaurants, gourmet specialty food shops and grocery stores in Brooklyn NYC .
Click here for Thanksgiving Day restaurants, gourmet food shops and grocery stores in the Bronx NYC.
Click here for Thanksgiving Day restaurants, gourmet specialty food shops and grocery stores on Staten Island NYC.
Enjoy.
Holiday Markets in All Five Boros of NYC 2021
Things aren't yet back to Normal, as Many Markets Decided to Opt Out
November 8, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Weather. The temperature highs this week will be in the 60's and the temperature lows will be in the mid 40's to mid 50's. An inch of rain is expected Thursday night / Friday morning - gone by the time the work week is done. Humidity will range from 50% - 80% with Wednesday being the dryest. Winds will be 5 - 15 mph, with the strongest winds on Thursday evening / Friday day.
NYC Holiday Markets Forecast. I think they should be pretty good, as many markets are stocked with locally hand crafted goods. And god knows that folks have had plenty of time to get creative - if so inclined.
Here are links to some holiday markets planned around the five boroughs between now and the end of the year. We will finish updating these pages this week, in as much as we can. And then continue updating as more information becomes available as we navigate our way through the holiday season.
Staten Island Holiday Markets NYC
Enjoy.
Eric Adams Wins in Landslide Defeating Sliwa by More than 2:1
Republican Voter Turnout Was Strong on Long Island, but not in NYC
November 3, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Moderate Democrat Eric Adams sailed to victory Tuesday to become NYC's second African American Mayor. Democrat David Dinkins was the first. With 78% of the precincts reporting Adams won 676,481 votes to Sliwa's 293,127.
Democrat Jumaane Williams was re-elected Public Advocate, garnering 598,810 votes which was nearly 69% of the total, with 93% of the scanners reporting.
Progressive Democrat Brad Lander won the NYC Comptroller position, winning 604,000 of the votes, or 70% of the vote with 93% of the scanners counted.
And Democrat Alvin Bragg won the Manhattan District Attorney office, garnering 183,000 votes or 83% of the total.
Four of the five Borough Presidencies were won by Democrats. In Manhattan Mark Levine handily won the borough presidency with 181,000 votes or 85% of the total, with 93% of scanners counted. In Queens Donovan Richards handily won re-election, winning 160,000 votes or 66% of the total, with 79% of the precincts reporting. In Brooklyn Antonio Reynoso also won handily, winning 217,000 votes or 73% of the total, with 78% of the precincts reporting. In the Bronx Vanessa Gibson took in 80,000 votes which was 80% of the total, with 72% of the precincts reporting.
And on Staten Island, the only Republican to win a Borough Presidency, Vito Fossella, won 60,000 votes or 60% of the total, with 87% of the precincts reporting.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the election results of NYC and surrounding area municipal areas in November 2021, including Eric Adams landslide victory vs Curtis Sliwa.
The Nature of Democracy is Compromise
How Else Would a Majority of 330 Million People Get Agreement on Anything?
September 30, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
There are a couple of important legislative bills being debated in the House and Senate. On the one hand you have the Progressive Caucus threatening to hold, or even kill, the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in the Senate. And on the other you have a couple of Democratic Senators withholding their votes on passing the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better bill.
Trump left office leaving a multi-trillion dollar deficit in 2020, and the same is expected to occur this year, regardless of the votes on the pending bills. If both bills pass, these huge deficits could spell significant trouble for American business, the economy and the people employed by them by virtue of impacting the trading rate for our currency vis a vis other currencies around the world. The combination of these bills could significantly devalue the purchasing power of the dollar.
If neither bill passes, Biden along with EVERY OTHER Democrat, would be negatively impacted. By possibly failing to pass at least one of the measures, while holding majorities in both chambers, the Democrats would leave themselves wide open to the opposition labeling them "Do Nothing Democrats". And you can be sure that Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, NY Post, Wall St Journal and ABC News would not let that opportunity slip by unheralded, unhyped and unsensationalized by his plethora of putrid propagandists.
There comes a time when one must step back and see the bigger picture. And at present, the bigger picture is that the Democrats can score a BIG WIN, by passing the Infrastructure Bill - as that can be a rallying cry for them in the 2022 midterms and beyond. In passing the Infrastructure Bill, Biden and the Democrats would have accomplished something that President Trump and the Republicans failed to do, with even bigger majorities in both chambers.
It would be very sad, to see the Democrats let this opportunity slip away, because they fail to do what American legislators have done beginning with the inception of the republic - which is to compromise in order to get something done. We are at an important inflection point, voters, so pay heed to who votes which way, so that in 2022 and beyond, you'll know who is so uncompromising, that they will never get anything done.
Senator Bernie Sanders' legislative record is a case in point. In March of 2020, I did a story that, in part, focused on Sanders' legislative record, which was abysmal. Click here for our report on Senator Sanders' legislative record where no legislation of any significance was passed.
I like Bernie, and in 2016 found his candidacy to be of great interest. I think he's an important player in politics in our day, and continues to play an important role in the national conversation. But that said, the reason Biden won out for the presidency, is that Sanders has never achieved anything legislatively. Click here for our report on Senator Sanders' candidacy for president in 2016.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the negotiations among Democrats regarding Biden's U.S. Infrastructure Bill / Legislation.
Economic Snapshot NYC & US
In spite of Non-Vaxers’ Negative Impact on the Recovery, Generally the Economy Appear to be Steadily Improving
September 21, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Business & Economy / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
It’s been a while since I have done an economic update, and as we head into the Fall, it seems a good time to look through the tea leaves to figure out where we are and what risks lie ahead between now and the New Year.
The graph at right, created by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, shows employment in the U.S. from 1940 to date. To the far right of the graph, you can see the huge dip in employment in the Spring of 2020, as the pandemic hit. Since then U.S. employment has recovered, but not yet completely.
Unemployment Back to Normal Levels & Stimulus Winding Down
Unemployment continues to decline, and the unemployment rate reflects a growing economy and a tight labor market. One debated theory about the tight labor market, is that it was fueled in part by some of the generous government spending programs, designed to cushion folks from the pandemic, which some believed kept workers out of the employment market. As of this posting, we’ve not seen any good study that proves or disproves that hypothesis. So for now, I recommend you consider that hearsay, at least until you or I find one or more reliable studies that proves or disproves that hypothesis.
In any event, a good measure of both the federal and states stimulus programs have begun to wind down. Beginning in late Spring / early Summer, both states and the federal government began reducing or withdrawing the funding for extra [federal] and extended [states] unemployment benefits.
- CLICK here to read our multi-part series with a snapshot of the U.S. economy in the third quarter of 2021 Q3 2021 Economic Snapshot NYC.
NYC & NYS Continue to Have Lower Murder Rates Than the Rest of the Nation
The Past Couple of Months, NYC Murders have been Below 2019 Levels, and NYC Shootings are Down Double Digits versus 2020, While Gun Arrests Have Doubled vs 2020
August 31, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Crime & Law Enforcement / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
This is news you're not likely to find in Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch's NY Post, Wall St. Journal nor Fox News because it doesn't fit with Murdoch's self-enriching, propagandistic narratives of blaming Democrats for the increase in violent / gun crimes. He appears to use such narratives to get the politicians who will give him tax breaks, and allow him to continue deregulating his industries, so he can make ever more money at the expense of American Democracy.
The NYPD has been working hard to rein in the out-of-control sales and trafficking of guns in the nation, because of the absence of an intelligent debate on national gun control legislation to combat the growing gun violence, and in particular the mass shootings, that started rising again during the Trump Administration and continued rising in the wake of the CoVid pandemic.
Year To Date Murders in NYC are Below the National Average & Have Begun Falling Versus 2020
So we're going to take a look at a number of the NYC crime statistics, and then follow up with an analytical look at some of the issues driving gun related violence, before closing with a look at the distorted, deceitful and destructive coverage provided by Murdoch's Fox News & Propaganda.
As you can see by the chart at right, with the exception of GLA or Grand Larceny Auto and YTD / Year To Date Shootings, all NYC crime is either in the single digits or down, versus last year. It's important to note however, that in July shootings dropped by 35% versus prior year [up 17% YTD], while gun arrests were up 134% versus the prior year [up 68% YTD], so the NYPD continues to make good progress in this regard. And murders were down 49% in July versus prior year and down 10% year to date.
The chart at right shows the NYPD Crime statistics for the month of July 2021 and Year To Date 2021. I have also included comparisons to 2019 as 2020 was an unusual year all the way around - including for NYC crime.
The Iron Pipeline - Interstate 95 - is used to Transport Guns from Primarily Red Republican States with Lax Gun Laws
The graphic at right shows what is called the 'Iron Pipeline' which is Interestate 95 which runs from New York to Florida. This interestate highway is used to transport guns / weapons across state lines from mostly red Republican controlled states with lax gun control laws to blue states that have passed stronger gun control laws.
Once the guns arrive here, they are illegally sold and are the root of the gun violence and murder problem in New York City and New York State. Thankfully, Mayor de Blasio, Commissioner Shea and the NYPD are on top of things, and have been working hard to rein in the problem, even in the absense of national legislative help.
I think President Biden should look into the possibility of using federal powers regulating interstate commerce, to curtail the transport and sale of guns into states that have tighter regulatory frameworks surrounding the sale of murder weapons. And perhaps the district attorneys in our city and state should consider naming the people who sell these guns, as accessories or even accomplices, to the crimes committed with them.
- CLICK here to view the rest of our report on crime in NYC and the American gun pandemic that spiraled out of control with CoVid.
Next Gen & CoVid - Still the Talk of the Town
This Report Provides an Update on Why the Downward Trend in CoVid Infections Swung Back Up, the Science Behind the Vaccine Breakthrough Infections, the Lamda & Delta Variants, the Precautionary Wisdom of Continuing to Wear Masks & the Impact of Murdoch Controlled News Outlets Continuous Stream of Mass Media Disinformation
Is it the Patriotic Duty of Every Eligible American to Get Vaccinated?
August 9, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC during the CoVid Pandemic / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
I reckon we all wish it weren't so, but CoVid 19 has been resurging with a vengeance these past couple of months, fueled largely by the Delta variant, which at the beginning of May 2021, accounted for less than 10% of U.S. new cases, while today it accounts for more than 90% of all new U.S. CoVid infections. What's most disturbing about this new trend is that even fully vaccinated people can catch the Delta variant, which was largely NOT the case with the original strain [alpha] of CoVid. The infections that are picked up by fully vaccinated people are called 'breakthrough' infections, because they have broken through the immunity protection provided by the vaccines.
In the graphic at right, note the large light blue at the right of the graphic, which denoted the Delta variant of CoVid which grew from almost nothing in May, to almost every new CoVid case in the U.S. in August.
The Delta Variant has Changed So Significantly, Hence the New CoVid Reign of Terror
I found a chart that I found of great interest in an August 5, 2021 story in the Gothamist, which was acquired by NPR in 2018. The chart shows how the original CoVid is almost non-existent in the U.S. today, while the Delta variant has risen to represent over 90% of all new cases.
The vaccines were developed to address the original CoVid stain, as the Delta variant - as noted above - didn't become a real factor until about May of this year. Thus, the vaccines efficacy in preventing CoVid has been significantly reduced, but thankfully the vaccines are still very effective in preventing the worst possible outcomes which are hospitalizations and death.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report about the science of the CoVid Delta and Lamda variants, vaccine breakthrough infections, the impact on kids of the new variant, and the importance of masking up and practicing social distancing again.
A Look Back at the NYC Municipal Primary Election Results of 2021
Females Won Big, But Because of Ranked Choice Voting, the Results Trickled in Over the Past Month, & Real Assessments of the Changed Landscape have yet to Follow
August 3, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The June 22nd election primary for NYC municipal offices has long passed, but a solid look at the overall results of the election has not yet followed. What I will attempt to do today, is to offer provide a top down summary of the results, along with some interpretation of what this means going forward.
Women Won Big in the New York City Council Democratic Primaries
One of the biggest changes to municipal government likely to occur following the November election is that the NYC Council will move from less than a third women, to over half women for the first time in NYC history. This assumes most or all of the Democrats win their seats in the general election. This usually happens in a heavily blue state like New York, just as Republican primary winners in Alabama become the likely winners of the general election in that heavily red state. Somewhere between 29 and 31 of the Democratic primary winners in the NYC Council races were women out of a 51 member municipal legislative body.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report about the NYC Municipal Democratic Primary Election results of June 2021.
CoVid NYC Economic Update
NYC Hotels, Restaurants & Entertainment Continue to Feel the CoVid Pain, Also Real Estate & Construction but Less so, and Things Should Gradually Improve in 2021
November 16, 2020 / NYC Neighborhoods / Business & Real Estate NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
CoVid & Donald Continue Raging
So the CoVid pandemic is raging wildly in the nation, while the Demento in the White House is raging with reckless false claims about the 'rigged election'. The Donald also made these same false claims four years ago, when he won the electoral college contest, but failed to win the popular vote.
This time America's biggest loser lost both the electoral college vote contest and popular vote [by nearly six million], but the fraudster President has found his false claims of a stolen election, is a great way to raise funds from our nation's morons, who somehow still believe his lies. As the saying goes,
"We're all born ignorant. But you have to try really, really hard to remain so."
I consider Donald Trump losing the White House, to be the one silver lining coming out of the CoVid pandemic.
Meanwhile back in NYC, we continue to fare far better than the rest of the nation vis a vis CoVid, perhaps having learned our lessons last Spring. When I look at the CoVid map of the United States, I'm beginning to interpret it as a sort of national I.Q. test. Those places where it's raging most - almost a year since the pandora came out of the box - are states with slow learning media, slow learning government officials and slow learning populations. Otherwise, why would CoVid be raging again, after all that we have learned in the past year?
- CLICK here for the rest of our report on the NYC Economy during the CoVid pandemic in October / November of 2020.
ART
Snug Harbor Fence Show on Staten Island
69th Annual Art Show Organized by the Staten Island Museum
October 1, 2019 / Randall Manor Neighborhood Staten Island / Things to do on Staten Island / Staten Buzz NYC.
I attended the 69th Annual Snug Harbor Fence Show on Staten Island on Saturday. The show included about 150 exhibiting artists, primarily from Staten Island, but also neighboring NYC boroughs and New Jersey. There were food and beverage vendors, an accomplished jazz group - the Musical Chairs Chamber Ensemble - as well as plenty of interesting artworks that ranged from ceramics, to clothing and jewelry, to all sorts of art on canvass and other materials. The crowd the show attracted was also an eclectic group of art lovers, art exhibitors and curious Staten Islanders [it's free admission]. See video to take in a couple of minutes of the ambiance of the show.
SPORTS
NYC Marathon Coming Through All Five BoroughsNew York Road Runners 49th NYC Marathon on SundayOctober 29, 2019 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Government & Politics / Gotham Buzz NYC. The New York Road Runners / NYRR is hosting its 49th NYC Marathon on Sunday. The NYRR was founded in 1958 and has been organizing the NYC Marathon since 1970. The proceeds from the race go toward the programs of the runner non-profit. They report that the NYRR serves 670,000 people, of which 250,000 are youth, annually. There are plenty of festivities this week surrounding the affair. Some are held at the NYRR Run Center [NYRR headquarters] at 320 West 57th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues in Manhattan, while others are held at the NYC Marathon Pavilion in Central Park at 67th Street and Central Park West, near the Tavern on the Green in Manhattan. The other pre-race activities [see location addresses above] include a discussion on Tuesday about the NYC Marathon Book Club from 6 - 8 pm at the NYC Marathon Pavilion. On Wednesday there's a forum of Celebrity Charity Runners who talk about why they are running at the NYC Marathon Pavilion from 7 - 8 pm. On Thursday evening between 6 and 7 pm the NYRR presents the awards for the NYRR Hall of Fame inductees at the NYC Marathon Pavilion. On Friday at the NYRR Run Center there's an NYRR Running History Tour which runs from 10 - 11.30 am. The pre-race festivities culminate the Saturday evening before the race, when there's an early dinner [3.30 - 8.30 pm] for the runners at the NYC Marathon Pavilion that is prepared by the chefs from Tavern on the Green. They call it the Marathon Eve Dinner. It has a sort of holiday ring to it.
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RESTAURANTS
Halloween Parties & Events in NYC 2021
Things aren't yet back to Normal, but When was Normal a Part of Halloween?
October 19, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Weather. The temperature highs this week will be in the 70's and the temperature lows will be in the mid to high 50's. No rain is expected, but it will be partly cloudy. Humidity will be on the low side of the 50% - 70% range. And winds will be 5 - 10 mph.
Weather Forecast for Halloween. the current forecast is pretty similar to the forecast above, except there's currently a 30% chance of a small amount of rain and it will be more humid, about in the 70% - 80% range.
Here are links to some Halloween parties and events planned around the five boroughs. We will finish updating these pages this week.
Bronx Halloween Parties and Events NYC
Brooklyn Halloween Parties and Events NYC
Manhattan Halloween Parties and Events NYC
Queens Halloween Parties & Events NYC
Staten Island Halloween Parties and Events NYC
Enjoy.
Mothers Day Restaurants in NYC 2022
New York City Restaurants are Ready to Return to Life ... Beginning w/ Mothers Day ... Is This Irony and / or Coincidence?
April 26, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Restaurants / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Weather. This forecast is being made less than a week ahead of Mothers Day, so it should be fairly accurate. The temperature will be between 50 and 70 degrees. And there's a low probability of precipitation. So, as things currently stand, Mothers Day looks to be alright weather-wise. The rest is up to you.
We posted a number of different reports, one for each borough, each of which provides a wide range of Mothers Day restaurant suggestions. Given the pandemic took a bit of a toll on local businesses and restaurants this will steer you to the ones that will be open and ready to accommodate families on Mothers Day.
Bronx Mothers Day Restaurants NYC 2022
Manhattan Mothers Day Restaurants NYC 2022
Queens Mothers Day Restaurants NYC 2022
Brooklyn Mothers Day Restaurants NYC 2022
Staten Island Mothers Day Restaurants NYC 2022
Enjoy.
St Pat's Day 2021 - Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants in NYC
Most Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants We Cover Survived & Are Ready to Party, but Remember Reduced Capacity Seating Offset by Outdoor Seating & CoVid Guidelines Still Apply
March 8, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Irish Pubs Bars & Restaurants / Gotham Buzz NYC.
So We're a bit more than a week away from St. Patrick's Day 2021. It was around this time last year that we were all waking up to a new reality ... the CoVid pandemic. So the Manhattan NYC St. Patrick's Day parade was hugely scaled down ... and again this year. While the other St. Patrick's Day parades were cancelled and this year either cancelled or moved virtual.
But things are looking up. Restaurants and bars are back to indoor dining at 25%, restaurants can stay open until 11 pm and we've all adapted to outdoor dining. The current weather forecast [as of 3/8/21] for St. Patrick's Day calls for temperatures to range from 40 - 50 degrees with a wee bit of rain. So outdoor dining / drinking should be doable.
So we've compiled a set of Irish pubs, bars and restaurants in each borough for you to peruse if you're contemplating going out that day. Please remember, that like New Years Eve, all the amateur drinkers come out including those not Irish, so be careful. Especially because it's likely a lot of folks will become sloppy mask wearers and not keep their social distance and perhaps not be as mindful of hand cleanliness when not imbibing a few drinks.
So enjoy yourself, but responsibly, so we can all move beyond this pandemic.
- St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Bronx
- St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Brooklyn
- St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Manhattan
- St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Queens
- St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Staten Island
Valentines Day Restaurants in NYC
Updated for CoVid 2021 - If Planning to Dine Out on Valentine's Day Better Get Moving
February 5, 2021 / NYC Restaurants / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.
A week from Sunday is Valentine's Day in NYC. We have nearly completed a round up of a number of restaurants by borough that will be open, offering indoor and outdoor dining on that day.
One thing worth noting is that, because of the limited indoor seating [25% capacity] and the resumption of indoor dining from its hiatus, demand is likely to exceed capacity for a regular old fashioned restaurant experience. In fact a few restaurants we spoke to were already sold out and creating waiting lists.
UPDATE. The restaurants had sold out before the Governor had moved up the resumption of indoor dining from beginning on Valentines Day, February 14th to beginning on Friday, February 12th, so there are likely openings for indoor dining over the weekend - if not on Valentines Day itself.
But so far that hasn't been true of the outdoor option, which might be ok, depending on the weather. Here are links to Valentine's Day dining in NYC by borough. These restaurants have been updated for CoVid in 2021.
- Bronx Valentines Day restaurants
- Brooklyn Valentines Day restaurants
- Manhattan Valentines Day restaurants
- Queens Valentine Day restaurants
- Staten Island Valentines Day restaurants
Enjoy.
SHOP
NYC Farmers Markets & Street Fairs NYC
Brooklyn, Staten Island Farmers Markets & Street Fairs as Well as Queens, Bronx & Manhattan
March 23, 2019 / Staten Island Famers Markets / Brooklyn Farmers Markets / Brooklyn Street Fairs / Staten Island St Fairs / Gotham Buzz NYC.
A few Staten Island & Brooklyn farmers markets may be open year round, but most of them are seasonal. Some of the seasonal Staten Island & Brooklyn farmers markets usually begin opening in May, with the rest of them opening in June or no later than the first couple of weeks in July. Click here to view the schedules of many of the farmers markets in Brooklyn and here for the farmers markets in Staten Island.
Staten Island & Brooklyn street fairs, on the other hand, are entirely seasonal. Some of them hit the streets as early as April. The number of Staten Island & Brooklyn street fairs rises during the late spring and continues through the dog days of summer [July / August], including into the late part of the Fall. By late October / the end of November the Staten Island & Brooklyn street fairs go on hiatus, with a few returning as early as April. Click here to view a full schedule of the Brooklyn street fairs and also Staten Island street fairs.
NYC Farmers Markets 2021
Year Round Farmers Markets in NYC Continue & New Season Beckons
March 5, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.
We're only a week away from Daylight Savings Time, when we all spring ahead into longer days, where the sun doesn't depart until around 7 pm.
The J&J vaccine was approved last Saturday, February 27, 2021 and already millions of doses have been distributed. While the vaccine was proven to be somewhere between 72% - 85% effective in providing total protection, it was found to be 100% effective against hospitalizations and deaths.
As the J&J vaccine was tested after the stronger mutating CoVid variants started appearing, the effectiveness percent vis a vis the other vaccines might not be apples to apples. And what's more is that it requires only a single dose, no highly sophisticated storage requirements, and can be quickly manufactured.
So things are looking up. Last year farmers markets were classified as essential businesses and while many remained open, they curtailed hours and some went on hiatus. The following is an update for the 2021 season of NYC farmers markets dates / times and selections. We'll update again as we near the opening of the first wave of seasonal markets in May. In the meantime here's a guide to farmers markets, including those that are open year round, by NYC borough. Remember masks, social distancing and hands washing are required. Enjoy.
Staten Island Farmers Markets NYC
Click here for Brooklyn tile stores.
HOLIDAYS PRDS HOTELS
Columbus Day Weekend Things To Do in NYC
Things To Do in NYC over the Columbus Day Weekend
October 4, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The Columbus Day Weekend is ony a few days away. Although significantly changed from last year, the CoVid Delta variant is still wreaking some havoc, so I thought you might want some time to plan ahead for the long weekend.
Weather. As of October 4, 2021, the Temperature highs will be in the 70's all four days of the long weekend. The temperature lows will be in the low 60's throughout the weekend. There's a 35% chance of a small amount of rain [2/10th's of an inch] between Saturday evening 5 pm and Sunday evening 6 pm. Winds will be about 5 - 10 mph Friday and Monday and between 10 - 15 mph on Saturday and Sunday. The Humidity will be between 65 - 75% on Friday & Saturday, and 70 - 80% on Sunday and Monday.
Click for an update on NYC Weather.
Click here for Things to do Columbus Day Weekend in the Bronx.
Click here for Things to do Columbus Day Weekend in Brooklyn.
Click here for Things to do Columbus Day Weekend in Manhattan.
Click here for Things to do Columbus Day Weekend in Queens.
Click here for Things to do Columbus Day Weekend on Staten Island.
Links to Staten Island & Brooklyn coming Monday night - or more likely - Tuesday 10/5/21.
We'll also have an update with additional events this Friday. Enjoy.
Labor Day Weekend Things To Do in NYC
Things To Do in NYC over the Labor Day Weekend
August 17, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
I know Labor Day Weekend is fully two weeks away, but given the changed landscape due to the CoVid Delta variant, I thought you might want more time to think about how you're going to spend the weekend.
Labor Day Weekend Forecast as of 8/20/21. It's too early as of this posting, to get an accurate weather forecast. We'll provide an update as we get closer to the Labor Day Weekend.
Click for an update on NYC Weather.
Click here for Things to do Labor Day in the Bronx.
Click here for Things to do Labor Day in Brooklyn.
Click here for Things to do Labor Day in Manhattan.
Click here for Things to do Labor Day in Queens.
Click here for Things to do Labor Day on Staten Island.
We'll also have an update with additional events next weekend. Enjoy.
NYC 4th of July Fireworks 2021 Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens & Staten Island
Best Viewing Places / Locations to Watch Fireworks in NYC
June 28, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The Macy's 4th of July fireworks will be shown along the East River again this year. They were shown along the East River in 2014 for the first time since 2008. Mayor de Blasio had lobbied the change, which now spans three years.
But the Macy's July 4th fireworks isn't the only fireworks show in town. In the Bronx there's the Independence Day fireworks at Orchard Beach, in Queens there's the Astoria Park fireworks, in Brooklyn there's the Coney Island fireworks and on Staten Island there's the Raritan Bay fireworks. The Raritan Bay fireworks has been put on hiatus because of CoVid and the Orchard Beach fireworks happened last Thursday. But the rest lie before us, as well as the Long Beach fireworks on Long Island.
Click these links for details to July 4th fireworks viewable from each of the boroughs, including some suggestions on from where to best view them.
- Bronx 4th of July fireworks 2021 & Orchard Beach July 4th fireworks BX NYC
- Brooklyn 4th of July fireworks 2021 & Coney Island July 4th fireworks BK NYC
- Manhattan 4th of July fireworks 2021
- Queens July 4th fireworks 2021 & Astoria Park 4th of July fireworks Queens NYC
- Staten Island 4th of July fireworks 2021
Memorial Day Weekend Things To Do in NYC
Things To Do in NYC over the Memorial Day Weekend
May 21, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
I know Memorial Day Weekend is fully a week away, but given it's such a changed landscape due to the CoVid pandemic, I thought you might want more time to think about how you're going to spend the weekend.
Weather. The Temperature highs will be in the mid 70's on Friday, rising to 90 for Saturday and Sunday. The temperature lows will be around 60 on Friday and Sunday, rising to 70 on Saturday. No Rain is in the forecast. Winds will range between 5 - 12 mph all weekend. The Humidity will be betwen 40% - 60% through the weekend.
Memorial Day Weekend Forecast as of 5/21/21. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 70's and the temperature lows will be in the low to mid 60's. No Rain is in the forecast. Winds will range between 5 - 9 mph all weekend. The Humidity will be betwen 50% - 70% through the long weekend.
Click for an update on NYC Weather.
Click here for Things to do Memorial Day in the Bronx.
Click here for Things to do Memorial Day in Brooklyn.
Click here for Things to do Memorial Day in Manhattan.
Click here for Things to do Memorial Day in Queens.
Click here for Things to do Memorial Day on Staten Island.
We'll also have an update with additional events next weekend. Enjoy.
Things To Do Presidents Day Weekend NYC
UPDATED FOR COVID 2021 - If Planning to Dine Out on Valentine's Day Better Get Moving
February 9, 2021 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.
This weekend is Presidents Day Weekend. For many, not all, it's a three day weekend. This means the Post Office and most federal, state and oftentimes municipal offices are also closed.
As of this posting the Presidents Day Weekend Weather. The Temperature highs will be around 30 throughout the three day weekend beginning on Friday, dropping to the high teens nightly, except on Saturday when the low temperature will also be around 30. Precipitation - There's an 80% chance of about two inches of snow late Saturday / early Sunday morning as of this post. Winds will be relatively stable hovering around the 10 mph range throughout the long weekend. The Humidity will range between 60% - 75% throughout the weekend. Click for NYC Weather.
A Few Valentines Day / Presidents Day News Items - Indoor Dining Resumes, Folks with Co-Morbidities become Vaccine Eligible, Vaccine Production & 2nd Trump Impeachment Trial Begins Today
Governor Cuomo announced that indoor dining in NYC resumes on Friday, February 2, 2021 at 25% capacity. NYS positivity rate is about 4%, while the NYC positivity rate is about 8% - but both have been declining since the Thanksgiving / Christmas / New Year surge began in late November / early December of 2020.
This past weekend, Governor Cuomo announced that folks with CoVid comorbidities will be eligible to receive vaccinations effective Monday, February 15, 2021. According to the Governor's website, the CoVid co-morbidities [say that fast five times] include the following:
"... Cancer, Chronic Kidney Disease, Pulmonary Disease, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Heart Conditions, Immunocompromised State, Severe Obesity, Pregnancy, Sickle Cell Disease or Thalassemia, Type 1 or 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Cerebrovascular Disease, Neurologic Conditions and Liver Disease Will Be Eligible ..."
Vaccine production for the U.S. is nearing the 1.5 million doses daily required to meet Biden’s upwardly mobile 100 million vaccinations in the Biden Administration's first 100 days. As of this writing about 10% of all New Yorkers as well as 10% of all Americans have received at least one CoVid vaccination dose.
Trump's Failed Capitol Riot of 2021 Seems Not Unlike Hitler's Failed Beer Hall Putsch of 1923
The second Trump impeachment trial began today, Tuesday, February 9th, 2021. Generally I find the rushing of the trial to be an insult to the American people, and the U.S. Constitution philosophies of due process and rule of law. The government officials prosecuting and managing the trial should take all the time required to educate the American people about who Donald Trump really is - not who he says he is.
They need to use the Impeachment Trial to highlight how Trump has significantly battered our democratic processes, undermined Americans' faith in our democratic institutions, personalized the power of the presidency, breached the rule of law, and appears to have colluded with the Russians to undermine our government over the past five years. Oh, yeah, and it all culminated in that lame Capitol Riot Insurrection which was not unlike and had striking similarities to Hitlers' lame / failed Beer Hall Putsch in Germany in 1923.
Ten years later Hitler rose to power as the Nazi Party leader and proceeded, like Trump did during his presidency, to usurp and personalize the power of the state thanks in part to the Goebbels / Murdoch/propaganda machines which misled the citizenry in each nation about who these two leaders were, and also victimized minorities in both nations. In the Beer Hall Putsch, 16 Nazis and four policemen died. In the Capitol Riot four Trumpsters and one policeman died.
Hitler was found guilty of treason following the Beer Hall Putsch, but still rose to power. Will the Senate take the precaution of sanctioning the Donald, or continue to enable the dysfunctional democracy damager - possibly destroyer?
Brief History of Presidents Day Holiday in NYC
A day commemorating Lincoln's birthday was first passed in Buffalo, New York in the early 1870's. Presidents Day originated as Washington's Birthday which was a holiday narrowly prescribed for federal government offices in Washington, D.C. in 1879. The holiday was dedicated to honoring the memory of the first American president, George Washington who was born on February 22, 1732.
In 1885 the holiday was expanded to include all federal government offices around the nation. In 1951 there was a push to create a Presidents Day holiday [vs a George Washington's birthday holiday] to include President Lincoln whose birthday is February 12, 1809 and was also celebrated by localities, but it didn't pass.
In 1971 the holiday was moved off of George Washington's birth date to being the third Monday in February. Thus while it never falls upon Washington's birthday 2/22, the official name of the holiday remains Washington's Birthday. But today, most folks refer to it as Presidents Day and to recognize the presidents who honored the U.S. Constitution and served the interests of the people.
- Bronx Things To Do on Presidents Day Weekend BX
- Brooklyn Things To Do on Presidents Day Weekend BK
- Manhattan Things To Do on Presidents Day Weekend MHTN
- Queens Things To Do on Presidents Day Weekend QNS
- Staten Island Things To Do on Presidents Day Weekend SI
Please note that we've updated things to reflect current conditions related to the CoVid pandemic. Enjoy.
SCHOOLS / ISSUES
The Trouble, Fear, Pain & Relief of My First CoVid Vaccination
As More New Yorkers are Vaccinated, the Pressure Grows on Those Who've Not Yet Received a Shot, Also the Role of Limiting Eligibility in Effecting a Smoothe Transition & Effective Tuesday 3/23/21 Folks Aged 50 plus Become Eligible for the CoVid Vaccination
March 22, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Corona Virus / Gotham Buzz NYC.
So I've been putting off getting a CoVid vaccination ever since I became eligible earlier this year. At first I held off was because there were intermittent shortages of the vaccine, then rumors of long lines to get them, and finally I had to wrestle through the various websites offering a shot, at a time and place that 'easily' worked for me.
Finding a Vaccination Center Near You in NYC
But this past week I hit the proverbial CoVid vaccine jackpot, after spending what was probably a couple of hours online trying to navigate my way to an appointment. One of the issues are the numerous websites out there, offering vaccines. There's both NYC and NYS vaccinations centers and I waded through each looking for specific locations, specific vaccinations [J&J, Pfizer & Moderna] and specific times.
Let me make it simple for you, as I oftentimes ended up on this site.
https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report about my personal experience receiving the CoVid vaccination in NYC.
NYC GOV
911 / The War in Afghanistan is Over - but the War on the Truth that put us there - Continues
TV News People Provided Superficial, Dimwitted, Gossipy Accounts of the Withdrawal, & Unfortunately, Far too many of the Print Reports Weren’t Much Better
September 7, 2021 / Fox News Fakes the News / U.S. Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz.
Somehow amidst the din of Murdoch mass media hyped criticism, the real headline was buried.
"The War is Over. The Twenty Year War in Afghanistan is Over. "
This was one of two Murdoch Wars - So his Outlets Seemed to Disminish or Ignore the Human & Taxpayer Costs - Over 170,000 Human Lives & Over $2 Trillion and Counting - and so did the Knuckleheads at the Other News Outlets
Where are the parades? Where are the celebrations? Where are the Congressional and Senate committees and hearings to investigate how we got into the Afghanistan war in the first place? And then why we stayed so long? Who incited this war and then profited from the $2 trillion in spending that the U.S. taxpayer took out loans to pay?
About 2,461 American soldiers died in the Afghanistan War. According to an August 17, 2021 report by the Associated Press, another 3846 American contractors lost their lives, as well as 72 journalists. The Afghanis suffered significant fatalities as well, as 66,000 Afghani military and police died, 47,000 Afghani civilians and 51,000 Taliban fighters.
TV News Provided Scant Real Insight, Information or Understanding Surrounding America's Withdrawal from Afghanistand to the Viewer
In the reporting over the past month or so I DID NOT SEE EVEN ONE REFERENCE TO THE RUSSIAN WITHDRAWAL from Afghanistan in the 1980’s. NOT ONE! Why does that matter?
Because if you’re going to evaluate how effective the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was, you MUST look at prior history, and the Russian withdrawal is the closest, realistic assessment of what the costs of withdrawal from Afghanistan could, would or should be. I watched with something bordering between disgust and horror, as the gutted out nationally branded TV ‘news’ organizations ‘informed’ the American people as to what was happening as the American withdrawal from Afghanistan took place before our eyes in real time.
I. The Pied Piper Framed a Dishonest & Negative Narrative about President Biden's Handling of the Withdrawal via his WSJ, then Echoed it with the Nearly Half of the Nationally Branded U.S. Daily Media he Controls, which the Lazy and / or Incompetent Competition then Parrotted
Australian born billionaire, Rupert Murdoch - as is too often the case - led the rest of the mindless mass media, like the Pied Piper. On August 15, 2021, the Wall St. Journal published an OpEd by the ‘Editorial Board’. The ‘Editorial Board’ appears to be the pen name of billionaire Rupert Murdoch who owns and controls the paper. The ‘Editorial Board’ said published the narrative that Biden was incompetent and had messed things up, with scant reference to history or a holistic presentation of the facts.
Ever since that narrative was published, it has been used by many of the rest of the mass media, to contextualize or frame presentations made by the corporate press in discussing the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. Not everyone in the mass media was so incompetent or so lazy that they used the mendacious Murdoch’s narrative – thankfully. But eyeballing things, I’d estimate that more than half of them did. I suppose the good news is that there are still a few real, independent-minded journalists operating in our midst.
Murdoch used his Wall St. Journal brand to lead the narrative, because it has a history as a respected publication. Even though respect for the brand seems to have been diminishing ever since Murdoch’s took control of the paper in August of 2007. After the announcement many of the real journalists who could leave, did. Barron’s was included in the acquisition and remains a Murdoch brand today.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report on Rupert Murdoch's War on Truth in English-speaking democracies including America.
How Would a Mayor Eric Adams Govern?
He Seems to Favor Charter Schools & They Seem to Favor Him, He's Pulled in the Most Real Estate Cash & He has Indicated He'll Reverse Course a bit on Police Reform
Included in this Report is a Look at the Impact of Gun Sales on NYC Violent Crime
May 17, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Eric Adams isn't Scott Stringer
We recently did a report showing how Scott Stringer has repeatedly appeared to have traded the community interest for his personal interest and career ambitions.
In that report we showed how Stringer takes big public stands, on what I would call generic Democratic issues over which he has little influence, such as gender equality, race and climate change. And yet on issues over which he has considerable influence that significantly impact the local communities, neighborhoods and unions - like real estate developments, local education, public libraries and the pension fund investments - he has taken big public stands in one direction, while appearing to do just the opposite with his actions.
In that report I also noted how Stringer seems opportunistic in compromising his stances [for example in education and the public library system] in order to capitalize on what he seems to think are self enhancing career opportunities. Stringer also seems to have used the power and authority of government positions entrusted to him by the people, to aid those who fund his campaigns, possibly trading what's good for the people, in exchange for what's good for Scott Stringer.
Stringer hit my radar nearly a decade ago, while Eric Adams only hit my radar a couple of years ago. So I'm less familiar with Adams' career than Stringer's. But in doing the research, I found that Eric Adams appears to be a slow steady hand, whose positions have evolved over time ... and I would add that generally they appear to have evolved carefully.
1. Eric Adams - Public Schools & Education
Pro Charter Schools & What that Means
In my reporting I have found that FOR PROFIT Charter Schools, don't seem to solve the failing schools problem, but rather split and shift the problem burdens, while privatizing and gutting a significant portion of the public school system.
I began reporting on education during the Bloomberg era, wherein Bloomberg's Administration seemed to split public schools into two smaller entities, and then parcel out the achieving students / families via charter recruitment to the privately run for profit charters, while leaving the lower performing students / families in the care of unions and the general public. It seemed to me they didn't really solve anything, and sucked needed capital out of the public school system, putting it in the hands of the venture capitalists who were funding the for profit charter schools.
This situation appeared to me not unlike what the insurance industry had done prior to Obamacare - whereby the insurance companies recruited healthy people for health insurance, and avoided signing those who weren't healthy in order to enhance their economic performance. To me this goes against the grain of what America is all about - which is equal opportunity for all. The privatization of the public schools by the predatory for profit charters would turn the public education system into the haves and have nots.
*** It's worth noting that NON-PROFIT CHARTERS evolved for different reasons and provided a healthy challenge to the union run public education system and thus non-profit charters appear to have a more more beneficial impact than the for-profit charters.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report about Eric Adams political career and policy positions on charter schools, housing and the police / also an analysis of gun public policy failures in the U.S..
The Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Cuomo
The Sheer Number of Allegations Appears to Indicate Something is Not Right
But This Report is Not About Judging Cuomo, Either Way, but Urging People to Let Due Process Play Out
March 15, 2021 / US Politics / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. Part II.
I'm going to explore each accuser's allegations while providing a bit of background on each of them. I have found some of Cuomo's accusers more credible than others, in what I would call the integrity of the whole situation. That said, the sheer number of allegations certainly lends credence to the notion that something is not right in how Cuomo is managing his staff at the Capitol and in the Governor's mansion.
One's attractiveness to the opposite sex, can cut both ways. It can be used: 1) as a powerful tool to obtain special favors, wage increases and promotions one didn't earn, or 2) it can attract unwanted advances that feel threatening to one's person and livelihood. In the former case (#1), one's co-workers or competitors are often the victims by being passed over for promotions, travel and other opportunities. In the latter case (#2), one is a victim / target of unwanted sexual advances by virtue of their god given beauty.
While in Business School, one of my very best friends - who coincidentally was named Murdoch [but no relation to Rupert] - told me that his father had told him that
"... it was more important to be respected, than liked ..."
We both had to seriously contemplate this advice, as this friend was immensely popular. He had asked me to help him unravel what seemed his father's riddle. Ultimately In due time I concluded that my friend's father was right - it is more important to be respected than liked.
I think that is also good advice for women in the workforce, and provides a compass for how one should conduct oneself. Not every man out there is a gentleman, and oftentimes successful men are also the badly behaved men, some can even be assholes like - let's say - Donald Trump. And as we've seen over the past four year presidency, both the men and women who reported into him were certainly psychologically abused. And I won't even begin to contemplate Melania's situation.
So with that in mind, let's take a brief look at each of Cuomo's accusers and their allegations regarding the Governor.
I. Lindsey Boylan (36) - Deputy Secretary for Economic Development & Special Advisor to the Governor
Lindsay Boylan was the first woman to come forward and charge Andrew Cuomo with sexual harrassment in a tweet in December of 2020. She worked for Cuomo from 2015 - 2018 as the Governor's Deputy Secretary and Advisor, during which time she alleges she was continually harassed. Boylan is now running for Manhattan Borough President.
In the accounts of Boylan's claims I've seen published she indicated Cuomo would touch or brush against her arm or leg, compare her to an ex-girlfriend, make unwanted sexually charged statements or inquiries, and on one occasion kissed her on the lips without her permission following the award of a promotion.
Boylan first went public with her claims in December 2020, telling the world that she was speaking out now, because she felt that the public should know this, as Andrew Cuomo was up for consideration for the position of the U.S. Attorney General. This seemed reminiscent of Christine Blasey Ford stepping forth in 2018 with allegations of attempted rape by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. But attempted rape is a far more serious allegation than harassment / inappropriate workplace behavior.
At the time Boylan said she didn't want to speak to any journalists about the explosive claims. This set off my spidey sense, because it seems unfair to think that you can make such explosive, career busting allegations without expecting reporters to want to dig deeper for the full context of the story.
Cuomo denied the allegations.
Last year [2020] Boylan was beaten in the Democratic congressional primary. It would seem to be a fair question to ask whether she is angry / blames Cuomo for her loss, believing that perhaps he did not help her enough? One might also ponder whether she is she using the explosive claims of sexual harassment against Cuomo to gain publicity for her current campaign for Manhattan Borough President, while simultaniously by capitalizing on / reaching out to the #MeToo movement?
In what appeared Cuomo pushback, some of Boylan's personnel files were disclosed to the press, indicating there may have been some issues surrounding to her departure from the Cuomo Administration, regarding her management of employees working for her. Boylan says this is part of a Cuomo intimidation / smear campaign.
Boylan said she was harrassed most or many of the nearly four years she worked for Cuomo [2015 - 2018]. Like many women, she hesitated and waited until [two] years after her departure before going public.
The #MeToo movement advocates that all women's sexual harassment claims should be believed, as for centuries women's sexual harrassment claims have been discredited and ignored.
Yet not long after she went public, she threatened to start a women's PAC to torch Schumer and other New York politicians who did not come out to support her in her allegations sooner. The gap in her announcement and in Schumer and other politicians' speaking out in her favor, was about two and a half months [late Dec 2020 to early Mar 2021]. Boylan also published a threatening tweet castigating both President Biden & Vice President Kamala Harris for withholding judgment as well, before she deleted it.
Boylan's vehement 'PAC fundraising' response, caused me to stop to ponder the full nature of Boylan's nearly four relationship with Cuomo, which seems to have greatly benefitted her with promotions and travel, until it did not. I was also reminded of how Donald Trump and Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz opportunistically used 'Stop the Steal' to fundraise PAC money for themselves off of an emotional, voter 'patriotism' hot button issue.
As with Janice Dean's allegations / crusade / soft gubernatiorial campaign launch, where Shakespeare's quote in Hamlet "The lady doth protest too much me thinks" seemed to resonate, as I again found myself asking if this quote also has some relevance to Boylan's case. See prior report for full explanation regarding Janice Dean.
Boylan's allegations would be given due consideration in an investigation. And we may learn much more about hers and Cuomo's relationship ... and it's possible that it could be highly toxic to both of them.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report about the multiple sexual harassment allegations against Governor Cuomo including by Lindsey Boylan, candidate for Manhattan Borough President.
How the President, a Former NYC Mayor and Murdoch's Fox News Seemed to Incite the Capitol Insurrectionists
Rudy Giuliani, Nicknamed America's Mayor by Murdoch's Fox News, Appears to have Helped Incite the Band of Simpleminded Trumpsters to Insurrection
Updated January 11, 2021 from 1.8.21 / US Politics / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Rising Film Star [Barat2] and Former NYC Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, appears to have devolved into something of a national freak show or farce over the past five years. Perhaps longer. But in the past few months, he's become something of a national disgrace.
Fox News seems to use nicknames for their propaganda assets, like referring to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as the 'Iron Lady' and President Ronald Reagan as the 'Gipper'. Rudy Giuliani seems to be yet another Fox propaganda asset and, as such, is oftentimes referred to as America's Mayor by Fox pundits.
This is not unlike how Murdoch's Fox News nicknames themselves America's Newsroom. This was a trick used by Hitler and Goebbels, using words and images to create the illusion that they, the Nazi Party [in this cae the Fox Nation with red, white and blue colors] was the same as the state - and thus represented all that was right and just. But remember - just because Murdoch's Fox News says it's so - doesn't make it so [like they used to call themselves 'Fair & Balanced' before they started fearing a lawsuit for false advertising]. But, the Australian born billionaire's overwhelming control and / or ownership of America's television media [see our special section on Murdoch and the 21st Propaganda Press on Gotham Buzz] does give him a leg up in attaching and making both good and bad labels stick to people, places and things.
On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, Rudy Giuliani joined Donald Trump and Donny junior at a Trump rally in Washington, D.C. near the White House. The Donald had promoted this gathering as something 'wild' and related to his seemingly phony stop the steal / election fraud fundraising claims. At the rally Trump told his supporters, numbering about 5,000 [per the park permit] to march down to the Capitol and that he'd be there with them.
I think it's safe to say that the Trump supporters who came to this event came prepared to continue to be misinformed and misled by the con men standing on the stage in front of them. After the speeches the audience mindlessly did as Trump had instructed them, and began marching toward the Capitol - but without their fearful leader [bonespurs acting up again?]. The Trumps and Giuliani were not to be found when the group arrived at the Capitol. What a surprise!
When the Trumpsters reached the barricades in front of the Capitol, the police in charge of protecting it, seemed to give way. What exactly transpired at this juncture we'll find out eventually, but one thing we do know for certain is that Trump didn't deploy as many of the National Guardsmen as he did for his tear gassing photo op with the Bible last summer. So Vice President Mike Pence had to step in to call up more National Guardsmen who eventually secured the Capitol - but not until after it had been ransacked [including one report of defecation].
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report on How the President, a Former NYC Mayor and Murdoch's Fox News Seemed to Incite the Capitol Insurrectionists.
Kentucky Insanity: Voting Repeatedly for Mitch McConnell & Expecting Things to Change
Kentucky Has the 6th Highest Poverty Rate, Ranks 46th in Healthcare, 44th in Education & 45th in Income While
McConnell’s Leadership Enriches Him & his Taiwanese Born Wife, so that Mitch is Now in the Top Ten Wealthiest Senators Club
October 26, 2020 Updated from 10/13 & 10/21/20 / NYC Neighborhoods / U.S. Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Monday night Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell squared off against challenger former Lieutenant Colonel Amy McGrath. She, along with another woman, were the first females assigned to the Marine All Weather Attack Squadron.
Televised debates these days, seem to shed little light on the candidates or issues. This may be in part due to the format of them, as well as the failure of the debate moderators to hold the candidates' feet to the fire by pressing them on tough questions, and the current climate of conversational corruption where politicians pretty much say whatever the hell they want to say ... regardless of the truth.
So I did some of my own digging to learn more about Mitch McConnell. What I found surprised me, given how deep the rabbit hole goes and yet how little attention has been given to one of the most powerful men in Washington. So it may surprise you too.
DEFINITION OF INSANITY - Repeatedly Doing the Same Thing Expecting a Different Result
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
The image at right was found in a web magazine, Forward Kentucky earlier this year. Donald Trump fired FIVE inspectors and among them was one investigating McConnell's wife.
What are they afraid of ... the truth?
And that is exactly what Kentuckians appear to have been doing for decades, having reportedly voted for Mitch in various elections approximately THIRTY TIMES in a row.
Let’s take a look.
RICH MITCH - McConnell is the Longest [Self?] Serving Republican Leader in Senate History
In June 2018, Mitch McConnell became the longest ‘serving’ Senate Republican Leader in the history of the Senate.
McConnell has been a Kentucky Senator for nearly 36 years, having first taken office in January 1985.
He’s been the Republican Senate Majority Leader for nearly six years - since January 2015, and the Republican Senate Minority Leader since January 2007 – another eight years and Republican Senate Majority Whip from 2003 - 2007.
And he’s been ‘serving’ Kentucky as a senator since 1985.
POOR KENTUCKY - Kentucky Ranks Near the Bottom in Education, Healthcare and Income
And yet Kentucky has little to show for Mitch's length of service – even though Mitch McConnell keeps telling them how good is for them, as he’s been a member of the elite Republican Leadership for decades.
But McConnell he likes to tell Kentuckians - he's the only top federal political leader who is not from one of the big urban centers on the coasts, even though he’s been living in Washington, D.C. for one helluva lot longer than he ever lived in Kentucky. And he’s married to a Taiwanese born millionairess who has never lived in Kentucky, per se, during the nearly three decades of their blissful married life.
So what difference does it make where Mitch McConnell claims he is from, if he’s not representing the people of Kentucky? But rather … representing the big corporate and foreign interests that appear to fund his campaigns and enrich – not the state of Kentucky – but their chosen one, their ‘representative’ Senate Majority Leader Republican Mitch McConnell.
NOT A NATIVE KENTUCKIAN - Why Alabama Born McConnell May not Care About Kentucky
I suspect part of the reason that Mitch McConnell doesn’t care that much about Kentucky, is because he wasn’t born there, and he mostly did not grow up there. McConnell was born in ALABAMA in 1942, and then – by way of GEORGIA – arrived in KENTUCKY in 1956 at age 14. I think it's worth mentioning that McConnell's great, great grandparents – on both sides - were Alabama slave owners, which we’ll get to shortly.
In 1968 McConnell left Kentucky for the big city, Washington, D.C., for a couple of years. He returned to Kentucky to run for office in 1971, but failed to meet the Kentucky residency requirement. In 1974 McConnell left Kentucky again for Washington, D.C. to work in the Ford Administration. Gerald Ford lost the election in 1976, so McConnell returned to Kentucky to run for office again. This time Kentuckians cut him a break and elected him the Jefferson County Executive, an office he held until he was elected in 1984 to ‘represent’ them as a senator, at which time he departed Kentucky for Washington, D.C. where he's been ever since.
So all tolled, McConnell only spent about 24 years in Kentucky [1984-1956=28-2-2=24], which is not even a third of his 78 years of life. And McConnell has spent 36 years ‘representing’ Kentuckians in the big city of Washington, D.C. – where he has lived half again as much time, as he has lived in Kentucky. So while Mitch doesn’t appear to represent Kentuckians – one has to ask how could he - given he has spent so little time there and it was what seems a lifetime ago?
McConnell Received Educational Deferment from Military, Followed by Medical Exemption for Optic Neuritis – Not Polio
According to Wikipedia, after McConnell’s educational deferment from the military expired in 1967, McConnell ‘served’ about a month. The same report tells us McConnell was diagnosed with optic neuritis – a temporary inflammation in the eye that can cause temporary blindness. According to a few Google searches, optic neuritis is a common eye problem that self resolves in about four to 12 weeks. There are severe cases of it, but given McConnell is 78 years old and we’ve heard nary a word of it since his getting out of military service, I suspect his case was 'mild’, not unlike Trump's CoVid case. McConnell is also said to have contracted polio, but apparently escaped any significant long term impairment, as we see him walking up and down the halls of the Capitol without a problem.
MONEY BAGS MITCH - McConnell Supported by Chinese, Russian & Australian Immigrants
In 1984 McConnell became a Kentucky Senator. And while most Kentuckians don’t like him and neither do most Americans – Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch’s soon to be media executive, Roger Ailes, ran McConnell's first campaign. Murdoch seems to have been influential in rolling back media regulations beginning around that time, so it wouldn't be a big leap to assume that McConnell helped Murdoch feather his nest through regulatory rollbacks, while Murdoch helped keep McConnell in place as an enabler in hacking through the regulatory environment which had previously held large media corporations in check. Murdoch controls Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St Journal and in 2019 became the largest shareholder of Disney / ABC in an inverted takeover.
We'll zoom in on why the rich Chinese and Russian born immigrants started backing Mitch McConnell a little further in the story.
McConnell Sells Out or Trades in his Old Kentucky Home?
McConnell was married to a Kentucky woman, Sherrill Redmon, from 1968 [around the time of his military deferment] to 1980 [around the time he was re-elected but a few years before he hit the big time as a senator beginning in 1984]. In the early years in Kentucky McConnell was considered a liberal leaning moderate [his ex-wife and one or more of his daughters still seem to lean more toward the middle, having oppposed the Brett Kavanaugh SCOTUS confirmation].
But McConnell's views seemed to quickly change after he hired Roger Ailes, [who later became Fox News CEO], to run his 1984 Senate campaign. This was followed by McConnell 's social climbing upward mobility when he met and married his new Chinese American wife, who connected his campaign to a multi-million dollar money train. Taiwanese born Elaine Chao's mega millionaire father is well connected to the Chinese Communist Party Leadership, owns a Chinese American Shipping Company, and he and her family have donated millions to McConnell, as well as his and Republican PACs.
The Decade McConnell Went From Kentucky Mitch to Shanghai Mitch
Following the 1984 election Rolling Stone story reports McConnell,
“As I always say,” McConnell wrote in his book, “the three most important words in politics are ‘cash on hand.’ ”
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report on Mitch McConnell corruption? McConnell's wife Elaine Chao corruption? Kentucky Senate race between Amy McGrath and Mitch McConnell.
Democrats Choice: A Stuttering Biden or An Intransigent Bernie?Most Folks Don't Know that Biden has a Stuttering Handicap which is Why he doesn't do so Well in Debates & his 'Circumlocution' Remedy is Likely the Primary Cause of his Verbal GaffesMost Sanders Supporters Probably Haven't Taken a Look at Sanders' Record of Accomplishment which During his 29 Years in Congress is Comprised of his Leadership on Only Three Passed Senate Bills - Two of Which were Naming Post OfficesMarch 9, 2020 / NYC Neighborhoods / National Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
This past week, as we all watched the Democratic race for the presidency unfold, we witnessed a bit of history. Former Vice President Joe Biden's incredible comeback from what seemed like a campaign on life support, ended with him sweeping the south and decisively winning victories in most of the states up for grabs on Super Tuesday.
Biden's Coalition - The Moderates, The Working Class & The RealistsBut like all victories, Biden didn't do it alone. Biden first received a boost via the endorsement of Congressman James Clyburn only days before the South Carolina primary. On Monday, Amy Klobuchar ended her campaign and endorsed Biden, followed shortly that same day by Pete Buttigieg, who had ended his campaign a day earlier. And Beto O'Rourke reappeared, to throw his support behind Biden in Texas.
One might say that this demonstrates the biggest difference between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. Joe has been able to bring many of his former challengers into his tent, while Bernie Sanders has not. Don't get me wrong. I like Bernie Sanders. I think he has great integrity, he is a strong advocate for the working class, and he has clearly demonstrated that he has an admirable talent for running an organization during his two presidential bids. But the difference between Sanders and Biden is that Sanders appears to be a purest ... an ideologue ... someone who does not compromise. And people who don't compromise can make great thought leaders, but they rarely - if ever - make great leaders.
Great Leaders Know How To Compromise & That's How They Get Things DoneLeaders need to make compromises in order to get things done. They generally don't get everything they want because vested interests will do everything in their power to thwart them when they try. So what real leaders do, is stake out the next evolution, by moving the ball a bit forward, hoping that someone else will pick it up at a later date and move it forward again.
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MURDOCH
K. Rupert Murdoch & the Rise of the Propaganda PressThis Section is Dedicated to Preserving One Man One Vote Democracies by Exposing What Appears to be Murdoch's Life's Work in PropagandaNovember 29, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz. In the Spring of 2016, while watching the Bernie Sanders campaign unfold, I noticed that the 'mainstream media' was showing what seemed to be tangible bias in favor of Hillary Clinton. This prompted my first story about the Bernie Sanders campaign & phenomenon, and made me aware of how the mainstream media appeared to treat him unfairly. After the New York Primary, I noticed a relentless onslaught of attacks by Rupert Murdoch's NY Post on Mayor de Blasio. The attacks were based on allegations and innuendo, and sometimes included as many as five attack stories per day. Their relentless attacks based on allegations and innuendo outraged my sense of decency and fair play, so I began a study of the NY Post reporting bias which resulted in the second story of this series. While doing the de Blasio / NY Post story, I couldn't help but notice a wide ranging pattern of what appeared to be a rampant abuse of First Amendment power by Keith Rupert Murdoch and his organization, including breaking laws, invading people's privacy, and bribing public officials. While these activities were uncovered in Britain, it's not a stretch to think that given the same man, Murdoch, is controlling the Newscorp & 21st Century Fox global media empire, that these same sorts of nefarious activities might be going on here as well. In fact, people responsible for management oversight of the tainted operations were subsequently given high ranking positions in this country. As the Republican and Democratic Conventions of 2016 approached, I decided that the time period surrounding the political party conventions, up through the general election in November, would provide me with a good case study period to evaluate whether and how Murdoch's Fox News, NY Post and other assorted media properties, including the Wall Street Journal and the National Geographic, might be used as propaganda outlets. In doing the context research, I found America's and Britain's media laws had been rewritten and loosened over time. In numerous cases I noticed that Keith Rupert Murdoch, all too often appeared to be in close proximity to the politicians changing those laws - almost always having supported them with his media properties - and at least in one case - even making personally direct donations to their campaigns. I dug a bit further and found that there are few 'real' media laws of the books in Australia, where Murdoch is no longer a citizen. In spite of his status as a foreigner he reportedly owns 64% of that nation's daily newspapers and has a controlling interest in the nation's satellite TV system. I did some cursory research and it's not a stretch to think that Murdoch may have gotten his start influencing the re-writing of a nation's media laws there. I also found what appeared to be a striking pattern of Murdoch manipulations and moves that seemed to come straight out of the political and propaganda playbook written by two of the earliest, most successful, and most evil practitioners of modern mass market propaganda - Adolph Hitler and Joseph Goebbels. Hitler and Goebbels came to my attention because I found that I really could not even begin to understand modern propagandist techniques without studying Hitler and Goebbels in Germany in the 1930's. Hitler's skillful use of propaganda appears to have hastened his ascent to power, and enabled him to keep his grip on it. These two men are the fathers of modern propaganda, and it appears that Keith Rupert Murdoch has adopted and updated their propagandist techniques to serve his own interests. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. So please read on. Click here to view our report about the state of media coverage of the 2016 election. Or click here to continue on with this story about Keith Rupert Murdoch & the rise of the propaganda press / media madness/ corrupt Fox News / NY Post. |
TRUMP
The American Presidency & Dysfunctional Donald TrumpThis Section is Dedicated to Informing the American Public about the Democracy Destroying DonaldUpdated October 10, 2021 from 9/16/20 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics / News Analysis, Opinion & Satire / Gotham Buzz. Beginning in late 2016 I began to start paying attention to some of the crazy stories floating around about Donald Trump. At first the stories seemed almost unbelievable tales of someone competing to become president of the United States, but the more I dug, the more I found, and eventually the evidence of who this man was and is, almost frightened me when pausing to consider that he had and still has control of the most powerful government apparatus in the world. Empires and civilizations come and go because those who worked hard to build them are not the same people who inherit them. And the people who inherit them are oftentimes unappreciative of the hard work and thought that went before them. We're too close, to my way of thinking, of squandering the gifts that were left to us by our forbears because we have not paid attention to all of the malfeasance and corruption that today is so much a part of government and the media we rely on to inform us. I've began running a series on what I view as the most egregious threat coming from the media in the series on Rupert Murdoch and the Rise of the Propaganda Press, which I had at first titled Murdoch Media Madness. This series is a compendium of reports I've published on the presidency of the dysfunctional Donald. The graphic above showing Rupert Murdoch's Fox Fake News celebrating the billionaire tax cut of December 2017 includes my take on things in red.
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BK
George Floyd Protests NYC George Floyd Protests Videos Brooklyn Manhattan NYCGeorge Floyd Protest Cinematography, Music & NarrativeJune 12, 2020 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Social Issues & Crime / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. The video below is an interpretive depiction of a protest event in McCarren Park early last week. The piece is meant to be savored - like food, music and cinematography.
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SI
Casa Belvedere and the Festa & Motori D'Italia
9th Annual Festa & Motori D'Italia Keeps the Engine Running on All Cylinders
September 23, 2019 / Grymes Hill Neighborhood Staten Island / Things to do on Staten Island / Staten Buzz NYC.
I attended the Festa & Motori D'Italia at the Italian Cultural Foundation at Casa Belvedere on Staten Island. The following video captures most of what I experienced - save for the delicious aromas floating in the air.
MB
Greta Thunberg at Climate Strike in Battery Park NYC 2019
Tens of Thousands Showed for the Climate Strike - NBC Estimated 60,000
September 20, 2019 / Downtown NYC / Manhattan Buzz NYC.
I attended the Climate Strike in Battery Park Friday late afternoon. It was a beautiful day and thousands had shown up to rally support for changing how we live in order to avert the disaster of irreparably destroying the ecosystem which supports life on the planet. Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg was there and spoke at the rally. The video below provides views of the crowd, some of their signs, a poetry performance, a musical performance and some of Greta's remarks. Stay tuned next week as the United Nations meets and Greta visits the U.N. to implore them to take action.
QB
Only in Queens: The U.S. Open & the USTA
Intergenerational Tennis Wins: Nadal Defeats Medvedev & Andreescu Defeats Williams
September 10, 2019 / Flushing Neighborhood / Sports in Queens / Queens Buzz NYC.
In the week leading up to the U.S. Open the USTA opens its doors to the Flushing, Queens and NYC community. They host a number of tennis related events, and provide opportunities for those who visit to watch the pros practice on the courts. The week culminated in Arthur Ashe Kid Day at the end of the week and families from the NYC metro area, most notably Queens come in droves to take in the rich atmosphere of the newly renovated USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
I had the opportunity to visit this year, which was enhanced by being able to photograph and video a shirtless Rafael Nadal - who won the men’s title this year, complete with ripped abs - while practicing. See video later in the story.
- CLICK - renovated USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Queens for story about the $60 millon in renovations completed in 2018 and about the 2019 U.S. Open. The report includes video of Rafael Nadal practicing in the week prior to the U.S. Open when the public is welcome to visit the USTA and watch practices for free.
BX
Closure of Rikers Island Moves Another Step Forward
In Oct 2019 NYC Council Designated Neighborhood Jail Locations in Four Boroughs
Community Board One in Astoria Only Approved the Closure of Rikers Island
January 26, 2020 / Bronx Neighborhoods / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Politics / Bronx Politics & Government / Queens Buzz NYC & Bronx Buzz NYC.
A week ago, on Tuesday, January 21st I attended the Community Board One meeting at the Astoria World Manor where the board was asked to approve the closing of the Rikers Island Detention Facility effective sometime before the end of the year 2026.
The photo at right was taken from an airplane while landing at LaGuardia in a prior year. Rikers Island Correctional Facility is a stone's throw away from LGA.
Queens Community Board One in Astoria Votes on Rikers Closure
The presentation consisted of two slides. One highlighted the social / moral blight that Rikers Island had become. The second slide simply proposed the request in very limited terms - the closing of Rikers Island and the conversion of it to a ‘public place’. The presentation to the Committee was done by a team lead by Dana Kaplan, Deputy Director of the NYC Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice.
So please note that the Community Board had no role in the placement of neighborhood jails, nor did they sign off on anything that may become of Rikers Island going forward. They only approved the closing of the Correctional Facility and the allowance of use for it as a "public place".
I spoke with CB1 District Manager Florence Kolouris after the meeting about what exactly that meant. She told me that there isn’t any definition, per se, given for public place – but a couple of examples of prior public places include Lincoln Center, Fort Totten and Queens Borough Hall.
The Community Board approved the measure with a recommendation that CB1 be kept in the loop throughout the closing process, including any demolition. Plenty of questions followed regarding what would become of the 400 acre island. Nothing concrete was proposed at this time, but the audience was assured that any changes would have to come through the Community Board via the ULURP process [Uniform Land Use Review Procedure].
The Bronx & Queens - Rikers Island Community Jurisdiction & Prison Population
It’s worth noting that technically Rikers Island is a part of the Bronx – not Queens – even though the only road traveling onto the island originates in the Astoria / East Elmhurst neighborhoods of Queens. In addition to Queens Community Board One, Bronx Community Board Two, representing the Hunts Point neighborhood, also has influence over the island. Since the Dinkins Administration in the 1990's, there's been a floating barge facility that's docked in Hunts Point, that is considered a part of the Rikers Island Correctional Facility.
Currently there are an estimated 7,000 plus inmates on Rikers Island. At its height, in 1991, Rikers Island held an estimated overcapacity inmate population of nearly 22,000. By the time the facility is to be closed in 2026, the inmate population is expected to have declined to between 3,000 and 4,000.
The photo at right shows the Rikers Island Correctional Facility which will be closed by the end of 2026.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the Rikers Island closing in Queens & the Bronx approved by Community Board One in Astoria / Queens. The designated Rikers replacement jail sites in four of the five boroughs was approved in an October NYC Council meeting.
NEIGHBORHOODS
NYC Swimming Pools - Free Outdoor Public Swimming Pools in NYC
June 28, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.
New York City offers easy access to a wide range of recreational swimming pools. The following is our first attempt to provide you with a view of the range of public swimming pools available in the parks of the entire city. We encourage you to make use of these facilities because they provide healthy, fun, and frequently free or inexpensive entertainment for both individuals and families with children.
Be advised that as of this posting, 6.28.21, masks are mandated in all indoor areas like locker rooms. Please be respectful of your fellow Bronxians, Brooklyners, Manhattanites, Queensians and Staten Islanders.
Click these links to view a listing of swimming pools in each borough, complete with location and contact information, swimming pool sizes, hours and other details.
- Free public swimming pools in the Bronx NYC
- free public swimming pools in Brooklyn NYC
- free public swimming pools in Manhattan NYC
- free public swimming pools in Queens NYC
- free public swimming pools on Staten Island NYC
Things To Do in NYC This Weekend July 30 - August 1st, 2021
Food, Music, Art Festivals & Movies in NYC this Weekend
July 30, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Weather. There's a 60% probability of about a third inch of rain beginning sometime between 3 and 6 pm Sunday. The rest of the weekend should be clear. The temperature highs will be around 80 and the lows in the mid 60's all weekend. Humidity will range from 50% - 60% all weekend, except Sunday night when it rises to near 80% due to the rain. The winds will vary throughout the weekend from about 15 mph Friday, to 5 mph Saturday and 10 mph Sunday. All in all, not a bad weather weekend.
FYI - On the Great Lawn - NYC Homecoming Concert 2021
- CENTRAL PARK _ Tuesday August 24, 2021 from 10 am - 6 pm - We Love NYC - A big Free HomeComing Concert - On the Great Lawn in Central Park, but must be ticketed, and meet CoVid guidelines. Tickets go on 'sale' on August 2nd and are expected to go quickly at www.ticketmaster.com. Free Manhattan concerts NYC.
All Five Boros are Back Online with Live Cultural Programs & Events
But please remain CoVid cautious for your own health and that of those around you by getting vaccinated, wearing masks when indoors or in close proximity to others and by washing your hands regularly.
Here are links to things going on in each borough this weekend.
Things to do this weekend in the Bronx
Things to do this weekend in Brooklyn
Things to do this weekend in Manhattan
Things to do this weekend in Queens
Things to do this weekend on Staten Island
Also see links below, posted on July 16, 2021, to farmers markets, street fairs and free theater, movies, concerts and swimming pools.
Enjoy.
Mostly Free Summer Outdoor Movies in NYC
There are a Number of Free Summer Outdoor Movies being Shown in all Five Boros Again this Year, Showing that NYC Continues to Make its Journey Along the Path to Near Normalcy
July 26, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / Paid & Free Things To Do NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
NYC continues its efforts to return to normal. We've seen an uptick in white collar workers returning to the city during the week. And tourism appears to be making a comeback, which apparently started in earnest around the July 4th holiday weekend.
Many of the free summer cultural programs, that have been the hallmark of summers in the city in years past, are making a return - albeit not quite in the full force of recent years - but certainly in a robust enough manner for one to enjoy some free live performances of song, dance and theater, as well as the free enjoyment of outdoor film in the parks.
The following are links to the film events / free movies going on around the five boroughs of the city over the next couple of months.
Enjoy.
Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Bronx NYC
Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Brooklyn NYC
Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Manhattan NYC
Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Queens NYC
Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Staten Island NYC
Mostly Free Summer Outdoor Concerts in NYC
There are a Number of Free Summer Outdoor Concerts being Performed in all Five Boros Again this Year, Showing that NYC Continues to Make its Journey Along the Path to Near Normalcy
July 19, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / Paid & Free Things To Do NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
NYC continues its efforts to return to normal. We've seen an uptick in white collar workers returning to the city during the week. And tourism appears to be making a comeback, which apparently started around the July 4th holiday weekend.
And many of the free summer cultural programs, that have been the hallmark of summers in the city in years past, are making a return - albeit not in full force - but certainly in a robust enough manner for one to enjoy some free live performances of song, dance and theater, as well as the free enjoyment of outdoor film in the parks.
The following are links to the musical happenings / free concerts going on around the five boroughs of the city over the next couple of months.
Enjoy.
Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Bronx NYC
Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Brooklyn NYC
Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Manhattan NYC
Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Queens NYC
Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Staten Island NYC
Free Things To Do This Summer - Free Theater NYC
Free Theater in the Parks, Free Shakespeare in the Park NYC
July 13, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Summer events have gotten off to a bit of a late start this year due to the uncertainty surrounding the CoVid pandemic. Nonetheless, many outdoor theatrical performances will go on with the show, albeit a bit late and many remain either dormant or permanently closed.
We just finished doing a preliminary round up of who's performing this summer and who's not. We are of the unconfirmed opinion that those who haven't scheduled or publicized any particulars for this season are probably not going to this year.
So here it is by borough. As of this posting we're still finishing up our work on these events, with most posted in some fashion, except for Bryant Park, and Harlem and Washington Heights. This will be done either later today or surely later this week. Enjoy ... or shall I say 'break a leg'.
- Free Summer Theater Plays Bronx Bx
- Free Summer Theater Plays Brooklyn Bk
- Free Summer Theater Plays Manhattan Mhtn
- Free Summer Theater Plays Queens Qns
- Free Summer Theater Plays Staten Island Si
REAL ESTATE & BUSINESS
NYC Landlord Harassments Continue
NYCCM Helen Rosenthal Hosts Housing Clinic to Inform Renters of Their Rights
May 29, 2018 / Upper West Side Neighborhood / Manhattan Real Estate / Manhattan Neighborhoods / Manhattan Buzz NYC.
MB - S.
On Wednesday, May 25th I went to the Goddard Riverside Community Center on Columbus Avenue at 88th Street to attend a housing clinic designed to inform renters of their rights.
***The following introduction is based on prior research done by me, and was not information provided at the housing clinic. I'll let you know when I segue out of my preamble and into the housing clinic.***
Over the past decade landlords appear to have become increasingly aggressive in trying to wriggle out of NYC and NYS rent stabilization regulations, that govern the rental payments under which about two million New Yorkers live.
It is my understanding that the government contributed land and / or financing to build or repair the buildings governed by NYC / NYS rent stabilization laws in exchange for the pricing rights on rent stabilized units. Many of the new landlords who have acquired rent stablized buildings, may possibly be in violation of approaching their business contract(s) in good faith, as the definition of good faith according to Wikipedia is:
"In contract law, the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing is a general presumption that the parties to a contract will deal with each other honestly, fairly, and in good faith, so as to not destroy the right of the other party or parties to receive the benefits of the contract. It is implied in every contract in order to reinforce the express covenants or promises of the contract. A lawsuit (or a cause of action) based upon the breach of the covenant may arise when one party to the contract attempts to claim the benefit of a technical excuse for breaching the contract, or when he or she uses specific contractual terms in isolation in order to refuse to perform his or her contractual obligations, despite the general circumstances and understandings between the parties. When a court or triar or fact interprets a contract, there is always an "implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing" in every written agreement."
What is at stake, throughout the city, is literally hundreds of millions and more likely billions of dollars in - rental benefits or rental income streams - depending on which side of the struggle you're on. The landlords appear to be trying - using the torturtous side effects of construction including noise, health risk dust [inhalation], privacy loss and apartment functional loss - to wrest away the billions of dollars of rental pricing rights benefits from tenants to be pocketed by the landlords themselves. Given the high dollar value of what's at stake - including people's homes - this seems like attempted grand larceny, especially in cases where landlords are breaking the law to achieve their goals.
This will be continued at a later date. Including the segue into the information provided by the Housing Clinic to inform tenants of their rights.
Tenants' Rights March & Rally - June 14th Midtown at 4.30 pm
P.S. There's a March & Rally scheduled for June 14th, beginning at 4.30 pm, at the NY Public Library at 5th Avenue and 40th Street. They plan to march to Governor Cuomo's office at 3rd Avenue and East 41st Street. For details contact info@realrentreform.org or call 212.979.6958. All but one of the No IDC NY senatorial candidates have been invited to participate, and there's a possibility that NYS gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon will be there too - as this seems to coincide with her reasons for challenging Governor Cuomo.
NY Real Estate Expo
NYC Professionals Discuss Manhattan & NYC Metro Real Estate
April 23, 2018 / NYC Neighborhoods / Manhattan Real Estate NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.
I attended the 10th annual NY Real Estate Expo at the New York Hilton last week. The event was well attended by hundreds of real estate, development and financial professionals from the NYC and metro area. Anthony Kazazis, Director of the event, had organized a series of panels to discuss key aspects affecting the real estate market ranging from software platforms, to financing, to NYC real estate market assessments.
Generally the mood was upbeat, but not without some concern about the future, given changes in the tax laws, foreign interest in NYC investment, interest rates forecasts and technological challenges facing the industry. But, I thought, that is why everyone is here. To find out what's going on so they can navigate the market changes - rather than be surprised by them.
While I had intended to stay only a short while, I found the topics and panelists too interesting to leave, so I stayed most of the day. I started with a discussion of a new information technology platform called Blockchain, which is intended to serve as an information clearing house, and it includes some artificial intelligence capability. I then found my way into a discussion about New York City versus Silicon Valley with respect to attracting large technology companies like Amazon, Facebook and Google. And I ended my visit after listening in on a discussion by NYC and metro area realtors discuss the residential real estate market in Manhattan and outer boroughs.
Sound like an interesting NYC real estate conference? It was. In the photo above you can see the audience at the well attended panel discussions at the NY Real Estate Expo this year.
I'll have more on this later in the week.
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